Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney

I was given a copy of this picture book set amid beautiful coastal Maine when my two girls were little. Written and illustrated by twice-honored Caldecott Medal winner Barbara Cooney, it was a tale we would return to again and again.

Cooney’s illustrations are so charming, and the messaging is wonderful. “You must do something to make the world more beautiful,” Cooney wrote—and indeed, with this book, she did just that.

Miss Rumphius offers important words to share and live by, especially whenever the world feels a little upside down. —Heather Marcus, Yankee senior photo editor

Barbara Cooney's story of Alice Rumphius, who longed to travel the world, live in a house by the sea, and do something to make the world more beautiful, has a timeless quality that resonates with each new generation. The countless lupines that bloom along the coast of Maine are the legacy of the real Miss Rumphius, the Lupine Lady, who scattered lupine seeds everywhere she went. Miss Rumphius received the American Book Award in the year of publication.

To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of two-time Caldecott winner Barbara Cooney's best-loved book, Viking has reoriginated the illustrations, going back to the original art to ensure state-of-the-art reproduction of Cooney's exquisite artwork. The art for Miss Rumphius has a permanent home in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art.

Publisher‏:‎ Viking Books for Young Readers
Print length:‎ 32 pages
Item Weight:‎ 11.8 ounces
Dimensions:‎ 10.44 x 0.34 x 8.31 inches

by Barbara Cooney

Miss Rumphius

Island Boy

Emily