Some books stay with us long after childhood. Miss Rumphius is one of mine.
Barbara Cooney wrote and illustrated the book, first published in 1982. It follows Alice Rumphius, a girl who dreams of seeing faraway places and someday living by the sea. Her grandfather tells her she must do one more thing: make the world more beautiful.
That instruction shapes her life. After years of travel and adventure, Miss Rumphius scatters lupine seeds along roads, over hills and beside stone walls. The flowers return year after year, spreading beauty long after she has passed by.
I recently framed two pages from the book and hung them upstairs.
Cooney paints Miss Rumphius among soft waves of blue, violet and rose-colored lupines. The image of Miss Rumphius biking around her seaside town, greeted by waving kids, bursts with charm and cheer. Her legacy has enriched the entire community. (Side note: I love her green cape. I’d wear one if I had it!)
Miss Rumphius reminds me that beauty doesn’t need to be elaborate. Sometimes we simply tend a place with love, share it with others and leave a few flowers behind.
About the book
- Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney, originally published in hardcover in 1982.