Curiosity and reading often go hand in hand; when you find a new interest that you want to learn more about, what do you often do first? Read about it. Whether it’s an online article or a book you find at your community library, reading can open the door to a new world with all the cool things you want to discover. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sends young children a free storybook each month in hopes of inspiring them to be lifelong readers and learners.
Greene County mom Brhi says her daughter Paisley is curious like most children and loves to learn new things. So, you can only imagine the excitement Paisley feels when a brand-new Imagination Library book shows up in the mail, and she gets to embrace her curiosity with a new story.
Brhi shared why she loves the Imagination Library and how she has watched Paisley grow because of the program.
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I recently read the quote “Once you can read, you can learn anything,” from the book Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Has this quote been true in your household, and if so, what have you noticed about your child’s literacy development since you started reading with them?
This is absolutely an accurate quote. Being able to look something up in a book or even online, has helped feed my daughter’s curiosity about things like sea life, beehives, how water towers work, and Australia to name a few. Not only can we learn anything, but her Dolly books also spark her imagination! It opens up the whole world to her.
My daughter’s literacy development has accelerated quickly, and I believe it is a result of being read to at a young age. She “reads” her own books and can figure out the story, or at least the one that she believes should happen, by looking at the pictures. My favorite part is when she inflects her voice and changes it for different characters. She displays the same antics that her father and I perform when reading her books to her.
Do you have any “new book rituals”? Things you do each time your child gets a book in the mail?
We check the mailbox each day and know around when Dolly will be sending us a book. It’s a very exciting day when one arrives. I usually announce, “DOLLY SENT US ANOTHER BOOK!” My daughter rips the plastic off as if it is a present she’s been waiting for all year from Santa. We hustle into the house, do dinner and bath time, then head to our loft to snuggle on the couch under a pile of pink blankets and read the new story. It is a comforting ritual and will forever be memories I cherish.
Does your child have a favorite book and what about it stands out to them?
Paisley’s favorite book Dolly has sent us is still ‘Squeak!’ by Laura McGee Kvasnosky, which we received almost 2 years ago! She particularly likes that her dad reads it and does all the sound effects. It’s a wonderful read! She is also partial to a book called ‘Sweet Pea’ by Shelly Coberly. She loves this book because she believes it is titled after. It’s a wonderful book that is short and rhythmic. We all know it by heart after reading it to her for the last 4+ years!
What encouraging words would you give to a parent whose child is not enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library? Why should they join?
Enrolling in Dolly’s Imagination Library is one of the most special, yet effortless things we can do as parents to help ensure our children are receiving age-appropriate books with life-lesson teaching stories. It has created many special moments in our life and it’s FREE! Books are automatically mailed to you each month after you sign up. You can’t find a more valuable program than that!
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Help your child discover the wonderful world of reading and sign them up for The Imagination Library today at https://greenelibrary.info/imaginationlibrary/
The Imagination Library in Greene County is supported through The Greene County Public Library Foundation, hosting their annual fundraiser on October 4. Visit the their website to learn more about this and other ways you can help support childhood literacy in our community.
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