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-Information courtesy the Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start March 2020 Newsletter
Dolly Parton is doing her part in entertaining children amid the novel coronavirus. The country singer recently launched a weekly series in which she reads a children’s book to an online audience at bedtime, selecting books from her popular Imagination Library project.
The nonprofit says the goal for Goodnight With Dolly is to provide “a welcome distraction during a time of unrest and also inspire a love of reading and books.”
The first book that was read by Parton in the 10-week series presented by Dollywood, Abramorama and The Dollywood Foundation was Watty Piper’s “The Little Engine That Could.”
The other books to be read include “There’s a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake” by Loren Long; “Llama Llama Red Pajama” by Anna Dewdney; “I Am a Rainbow” by Parton; “Pass It On” by Sophy Henn; “Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon” by Patty Lovell; “Violet the Pilot” by Steve Breen; “Max & The TagAlong Moon” by Floyd Cooper; “Last Stop on Market Street” by Matt de la Peña; and “Coat of Many Colors” by Parton.
The singer’s weekly readings will be posted on her Imagination Library’s YouTube channel, as well as across her Dolly Parton, World Choice Investments and Dollywood channels.
While known as a legend in country music, Parton is also recognized by children as “the Book Lady” after starting her Imagination Library in 1995 in Tennessee. The international book-gifting program launched to a national level in 2000, having delivered more than 130 million free books to children. The organization has shipped books to families in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
Children ages birth to five are eligible for the program and, once registered, will receive free books in the mail monthly. The books are developmentally appropriate for children at the age of sign up and change each month as the child grows.
Parents or guardians can enroll children via the Imagination Library website at https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/
More information about Franklin-Granville-Vance Smart Start and its role in promoting the Imagination Library program locally can be found at www.fgvpartnership.org or on the F-G-V Facebook page.