All my students were given the gift of Barbara Cooney's book, Miss Rumphius, as a read aloud when I was a classroom teacher at Lee School in Columbia (MO) and at West School in Jefferson City (MO). This beautiful book was inspiring in many ways, from the lovely illustrations done in acrylics and colored pencils (perfect for spin off art projects at Lee) and fabulous discussions on writing technique during Lucy Calkins Writers Workshop (at West).
I won't summarize the book here because if you haven't read it, I want you to get it and read it and if you have, then you know that it is a book you need to read for yourself. I will tell you that in the book the grandfather gives Miss Rumphius three challenges: to travel to far away places, to live by the sea and to make the world a more beautiful place in some way.
Miss Rumphius plants flowers, specifically lupines, all over her town. I guess you could say that this story is the original "green" book! How are you making the world a more beautiful place?
I made a free printable for you to remind you to make the world a more beautiful place. Click the link and you can download and print this right at home!
