332 million books

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has gifted more than 332 million children's books to babies and kids in all 50 states and four other countries.

Books circle Earth

If these books were set end to end, they would circle the earth 1.8 times.

Monthly book delivery

The program mails an age-appropriate book monthly to each enrolled child from birth to age 5, meaning up to 60 books fill these children's shelves by graduation.

First and last books

Each child receives Watty Piper's 'The Little Engine That Could' as their first book and Nancy Carlson's 'Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!' as their last.

Early literacy focus

Parton believed reading begins in the home, where parents and guardians act as a child's first teachers and reading aloud contributes to future literacy.

Father's influence

Parton's father couldn't read nor write, which inspired her to create the program to help children in his community.

“Daddy couldn't read nor write, and it always just seemed to cripple him, and he was embarrassed about it”

Program origins

The program started in late 1995 in Dolly Parton's hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee, with an initial order of 1,760 books.

How it works

Local partners pay $2.60 per month per child to cover book costs, while the Dollywood Foundation handles book selection and distribution.

Growth milestones

By 2001, the program reached nearly a dozen states; by 2003, it mailed its one-millionth book and added bilingual titles in Spanish and English.