Dolly Parton Offers Free Books to Kids in 21 States and Globally: Discover How to Get Yours!

Dolly Parton’s father grew up in poverty and never had the opportunity to learn how to read.

Motivated by her own childhood experiences, the 78-year-old country music icon has dedicated the last 30 years to promoting literacy through her Imagination Library book giveaway program. This initiative has expanded throughout various states, including Missouri and Kentucky, among the 21 states where families with children under the age of 5 can sign up to receive books mailed to their homes each month.

On Tuesday, to celebrate this success, Parton visited both states to promote the program and recount the story of her father, Robert Lee Parton, who passed away in 2000.

“Many people in the mountains never had the chance to go to school because they had to work on farms,” she shared at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Missouri. “They did whatever was necessary to support their families.”

Parton, the fourth of 12 children from a financially struggling Appalachian family, described her father as “one of the smartest people I’ve ever known,” yet he often felt ashamed of his inability to read.

This inspired her to assist other children. In 1995, she launched the program in one county in her home state of Tennessee. It quickly grew in popularity, and now, over 3 million books are distributed each month. Since its inception, more than 240 million books have been sent to children across the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Australia.

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The state of Missouri fully funds the program, having spent $11 million in the most recent fiscal year. Other states typically contribute funds using a cost-sharing model.

“The kids started calling me the ‘book lady,’” Parton recalled. “And my dad took great pride in that title, even more than he did in my fame. He felt he had accomplished something remarkable too.”

In Kentucky, the Imagination Library reaches children in every one of the state’s 120 counties. Governor Andy Beshear mentioned at a Tuesday event with Parton that over 120,000 children, nearly half of all preschoolers in Kentucky, are currently enrolled in the program, as shared by First Lady Britainy Beshear.

This program not only encourages families to read together but also provides children with their own personal library before they enter kindergarten, at no cost to their families, according to the First Lady.

“It’s a fantastic way to instill a love for books and reading in young children,” Parton stated during the event in Lexington, Kentucky.

Having received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award a decade ago, Parton expressed her desire for the program to eventually reach every U.S. state. While all states have some level of presence, only 21 have laws ensuring that all children under five can enroll in the program. She feels honored that her father lived to see this initiative take shape.

“This was my way of honoring my dad, as the Bible instructs us to honor our parents,” she explained. “I believe this means more than mere obedience; it involves bringing respect and recognition to their legacy.”

Parton is also a published author, having written the 1996 children’s book “Coat of Many Colors,” which is included in the Imagination Library program.

As she prepared to sing her renowned song of the same name, she shared how it tells the story of a coat made by her mother from scraps of fabric because the family couldn’t afford a larger piece of cloth. She cherished it since her mother compared it to the beautiful coat from the Bible, a precious gift from Jacob to his son Joseph.

However, her classmates teased her about it, which led to a significant emotional hurt for her over the years.

She reflected that creating and performing the song ultimately helped her heal from that hurt. Many people have written to her over the years, sharing that the song provided them with the same sense of relief.

“The fact that this simple song has meant so much, not just to me but to countless others for various reasons, makes it my favorite,” she shared.

When asked in Kentucky how she would like to be remembered, Parton expressed that she hopes to be seen as “a good ol’ girl” who worked hard and aimed to bring happiness and positive changes to the world.

“Naturally, I want to be recognized as a songwriter and singer, but I can genuinely state that the Imagination Library holds just as much importance, if not more, than nearly everything else I have achieved,” she concluded.

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Hollingsworth contributed reporting from Mission, Kansas, while Schreiner reported from Frankfort, Kentucky.