Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
In the summer of 2019, the Eugene Public Library Foundation asked for essay submissions about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and its impact on my family. I was selected to read my essay aloud at the Foundation Luncheon that September. Otto wanted to come up on stage with me and decided to hide under my dress while I read my essay. It was all sorts of ridiculous, but I was honored to be selected, and to have the opportunity to share my story
Here’s the essay I submitted:
As I sat down to write my children’s Imagination Library story, I couldn’t help but reflect on the impact the Imagination Library has had on me as a parent, and on our family as a whole. Dolly’s vision was to foster a love of reading among children and their families. I’ve found, through the books we have received, that our participation in the Imagination Library has also fostered love, connection, kindness, and acceptance.
My daughter, Cora, is nearly 5 and has been receiving books since before she was 2. My son, Otto, is 3. The high quality, age appropriate books that we receive through the Imagination Library have helped our family prepare for new experiences and learn new things, and better understand and work through our feelings. Here are just a few examples of how Imagination Library books have touched our lives:
“Jake at Gymnastics” helped my daughter overcome social anxiety when we enrolled her in classes at a local gymnasium. We talked about Jake, his friends, and his teachers and how they enjoyed all the activities during gymnastics. I was 7mo pregnant at the time, going through the gymnasium with Cora, helping her through the activities and encouraging her to try it “Just like Jake!” It also helped us learn some new words in Spanish.
“My No No No Day” gave us a way to talk about a hard day without blaming or pointing fingers. In the book, Bella has a bad day and acts out. Her mother is so patient and kind, and at the end of the day tells Bella that “we all have bad days and maybe tomorrow will be better.” The next day Bella has a much better day, and looks genuinely happy. It’s such a powerful lesson, even for grown-ups! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve referred to the book to reassure my kids that it’s okay to feel bad or have a bad day, and also to remind them that it’s okay to make a different choice and have a better day tomorrow. Kids have so many complex feelings and are just starting to learn how to communicate and express those feelings in healthy ways. I love the way “My No No No Day” shows parents and children how to get past a bad day without holding a grudge or carrying the bad feelings into the next day.
And finally, the book that brought me to tears on a tough night last summer, “Peace is an Offering.” My father had recently passed away, my husband and I were contemplating divorce, and there had been a series of suicides and other sad events in the news, including families being torn apart at our borders. I read “Peace is a joining, not a pulling apart. It’s the courage to bear a wounded heart.” and I began to cry, quietly. Cora asked me if I was sad and I told her, “No, sweetheart, I’m happy. I’m happy because this book reminded me that we can find peace and help make people feel happy every single day by being kind.”
Thank you, Imagination Library, for bringing love, connection, kindness, and acceptance to our mailbox every month. Thank you for helping foster a love of reading in our home – I can hardly get Cora to put down whatever book she’s got her nose in long enough to eat dinner! Which, of course, is one of my favorite problems. Thank you for contacting me when you received a change of address notice to ensure that my kids were able to receive books at our new address! We were in the process of separating our households and it warmed my heart to know that my children would continue to receive books during a difficult time. Thank you for touching our lives in so many ways! My kids are excited to see their new book every month and look forward to getting lost in its pages. Thank you!
Dolly’s vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families. The new program gave each child a specially selected book each month. By mailing high quality, age appropriate books directly to their homes, Dolly wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. Moreover, she could ensure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income.
If your child is under the age of five, I encourage you to sign up to receive a free book each month.
