6 // Miss Rumphius / Barbara Cooney

Miss Rumphius Story and pictures by Barbara Cooney

• Paperback version published by Puffin Books

• Paperback version published 1985, originally published 1982

• "Great-aunt Alice Rumphius was once little girl who loved the sea, longed to visit faraway places and wished to do something to make the world more beautiful." - provided by publisher

• Would bring this into a discussion of what we chose to do with our lives and how we can make our world lovely in small ways.

• This book has been a favorite since childhood. I love the Americana style artwork Cooney does with precise acrylic and colored pencil. The detail of trades of bygone eras (sailing, woodcarving, very old fashioned libraries) are so rich and the amount of historical accuracy and care that has gone into them make this book shine as a period piece that can be enjoyed by adults as well as children.