Me, Little Miss Rumphius

When I was a youngster, I read lots of books. My mom would sit with me for hours on end reading short stories, or chapter books in the local library or on a rocking chair in our living room. I loved imagining the characters and the setting in my mind, whether it was a pristine castle, or a warm spring day on the farm.

This being said, I have a lot of books in mind for this blogging assignment.

There are many books, in which I do not distinctly remember the titles of (yet I will by the end of this blog, because I will look them up on the good ole' Google), but one has impacted me until this day.

The book that I remember most, is Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. This book was about a little girl, who had a wonderful life. This girl grew up with parents (I'm pretty sure her dad was a doctor, but maybe not), who took her on different adventurous trips. While growing up she experienced travel. She loved to travel. She even went to a far away place where she rode on an elephant and ate exotic food while playing with the little children. She had many jobs ,but preferred the library, where she could help others find what they want. And was always thought of highly. Everywhere she went and everything she did, was to help other people. Her generosity shone through various acts of assistance towards her community and the people around her. When the little girl was not so little anymore (an older lady), she felt helpless towards the bad things that were happening around her. She then decided that she had to do something to show her generosity once more. She began taking walks and bike rides, while sprinkling lupine flower seeds as she went. With the rain and the sun, the flowers blossomed to create a bountiful flourish of flowers everywhere she passed. When people saw her they called her the "Lupine Lady".

One reason why this book is so memorable to me, is the artful pages and illustration flowing from one page to the next. Even now, to look at those pages gives me the feeling of satisfaction. I specifically recall a picture of Miss Rumphius on a beach, where an older man was giving her a coconut. I remember as a child, that I always wanted to taste the coconut. It had looked so sweet and exotic that I had craved one every time I had read that book.

Another part that stood out for me, was at the end Miss Rumphius is an old woman telling the children her story. This always made me smile. Even at an old age, Miss Rumphius still feels the desire to share with others. Although she does not have the strength to share the lupine seeds anymore, she still shares her life story and her goodness with the children who look up to her dearly.

I think the real reason why this book interested me so much was not necessarily the plot, setting, characters, or writing style, but it was the way my mom and I would read them. This book was one of my moms favorites, so we would read it quite often. The memories I have for this story, are only happy ones. I have always wanted to do something like Miss Rumphius. I aspire to become a teacher, so I can teach children and impact their lives in some way. But I have always wanted to drive around and throw lupine seeds out of the window, to make the world a better place.