Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is an awesome program that is available to all kids under the age of 5 that live in the state of North Carolina. From birth until their 5th birthday, an age appropriate book will be shipped directly to your child’s door for FREE. Dolly Parton dreamed up the idea of the book program, but it has local sponsors to make it all happen, such as our regional sponsor Wake County SmartStart. By providing every child with their own personal in-home library, the program hopes to cultivate a love for reading and increase literacy rates throughout the country.
How do I sign up?
All you have to do is sign up on the Imagination Library Website with your name, address, and child’s birthday, and you will start getting books shipped directly to your door! Sometimes there is a few months wait before you start receiving books, so I recommend signing up your child as soon as possible. If you have any issues registering, you can contact the regional director listed here.
What books will I receive?
A panel of early childhood literacy experts is responsible for reviewing hundreds of potential titles published by Penguin Random House for inclusion in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The books vary each month, but you can rest assured your child will receive books appropriate for their age level.
We have received classics like “The Gruffalo“, “Goodnight Moon“, and “Llama, Llama, Red Pajama“, as well as some lesser known titles and baby board books that go over numbers, shapes, letters, and colors. I also love that all races, nationalities, and family types are recognized and included in these diverse books. You can get additional information on the themes and concepts covered for each age group here.
Every child will receive “The Little Engine that Could” as their first book, since it was Dolly’s favorite book as a child. The month of their 5th birthday, every child will receive their final book “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I come!” as they graduate from the program. There are also a couple books included that Dolly wrote herself, such as “Coat of Many Colors” and “I am a Rainbow“. You can see a sample book list here by age, but realize your books may vary a bit from this master list.
Can I register all of my children?
Yes, you can sign up all of the children under the age of 5 that live in your household! Each child will receive their own book every month, although the shipments are usually staggered by about a week so they won’t all receive their book at the same time.
When the program launched in Wake County in 2017 I registered all 3 of my children. At first they were all receiving different books, but once my second child reached the age that my oldest was when we initially registered, we started receiving some duplicate books. I usually just donate the duplicates or place them in Little Free Libraries around town. However, we still sometimes receive completely new titles, so I still think it’s worth it to register all of your children. Some of my friends only registered their oldest child to prevent receiving duplicate books, but my kids really like receiving their book each month so I don’t want to cut the younger siblings short!
I honestly can’t say enough about this awesome book program! We have built quite the extensive collection of books over the years, and have been able to share some with friends as well! It gives us great new books to read at bedtime and throughout the day, without having to worry about library late fees! You will never regret providing your children with the wonder of reading at an early age, so sign up today!