#SHOWBIZ: Dolly Parton's legacy lives on through book deliveries to kids

In Cleveland, young Simon Dockery eagerly anticipates receiving a new book each month courtesy of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Since infancy, the three-year-old has received books in Georgia, and now his 11-month-old brother Samuel also enjoys the monthly deliveries. The tradition has sparked a newfound love for reading within the family, with mother Olivia Dockery expressing excitement over the experience.

Dolly Parton, the renowned country music star and philanthropist who passed away at 80, founded the Imagination Library in 1995. Inspired by her father's struggles with illiteracy, Parton's program delivers free books to enrolled children from birth until they turn five. Beginning in Parton's hometown of Tennessee, the initiative has since expanded internationally, operating in five countries and distributing over 300 million books worldwide.

For Dockery, the program was not a given enthusiasm for reading as a child, but she hopes the monthly deliveries will instill a love for literature in her sons. Personalized books, selected based on age, are sent directly to each child's home, making the arrival of a new book an event. In Washington, D.C., more than 100,000 children have participated in the program through a partnership with the Imagination Library and the D.C.

Public Library. Shami Chimonyo, a participant, signed up shortly after giving birth to her 7-month-old daughter, drawn to the well-written books and their visual appeal for young learners.