Miss Rumphius
Miss Rumphius is a picture book for children written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney and first published by Viking Books in 1982. It features the life story of fictional Miss Alice Rumphius, a woman who sought a way to make the world more beautiful and found it in planting lupines in the wild. Miss Rumphius was inspired by the real life "Lupine Lady," Hilda Hamlin, who spread lupine seeds along the Maine coast, as well as Cooney's own experiences traveling the world.
Cooney and William Steig shared the 1983 National Book Award for Children's Books in category Picture Books, Hardcover. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association named the book one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children." In 2012 it was ranked number 13 among the "Top 100 Picture Books" in a survey published by School Library Journal.Adaptations
A film adaptation of Miss Rumphius was made by Spellbound Productions in 2000. The film was directed by Sarah Kerruish and narrated by Claire Danes. It is available as a video in Spanish and English. The film is 18 minutes long.
The film won the UNICEF Prize at the 2002 Barcelona International TV and Video Festival as well as a Bronze Plaque at the 2001 Columbus International Film and Video Festival.
The Lupine Award of the Maine Library Association is named in honor of this book.
