How Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is helping kids start reading when they’re very young
This free program mails an age-appropriate book monthly to each enrolled child from birth to age 5.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library remains a noteworthy initiative, having gifted over 332 million children's books to babies and young children across all 50 U.S. states and four other countries by the time of her passing in August 2026. If those books were laid end to end, they would circle the Earth approximately 1.8 times. This free program delivers an age-appropriate book monthly to each enrolled child from birth until they reach the age of 5, resulting in up to 60 books per child by the time they complete the program.
The selection of books is annually reviewed, with each child receiving "The Little Engine That Could" by Watty Piper as their inaugural title and "Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!" by Nancy Carlson as their final one.
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