The Dolly Parton Imagination Library

All children under 5 with a Lancashire County Council Social Worker (child looked after, children with a Child Protection Plan or Child in Need plan) can get a free reading book every month until their 5th birthday.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a scheme to help children to develop a love of books, sharing stories and reading as there are so many benefits including:

Creating strong, loving relationships and secure attachment at home
Develops listening, language and communication skills
Aids cognitive development
Helps build confidence, self esteem and the development of good mental health
Fantastic preparation for school.

Every book is personally addressed to the child. All titles in the Imagination Library are published by Penguin Random House and carefully selected by a panel of experts in early childhood literacy and reading.

The Dollywood Foundation UK works with national and local funders and other charities to fund this programme. Dolly, through her foundation, contributes as well. Here in Lancashire, this is supported by the charity Make My Day Better, plus other donors.

Dolly set up the first Imagination Library in 1995 in her hometown in Tennessee, USA. Since then, the Imagination Library has come to the UK with more than 50,000 children receiving a book every month.

We really hope this scheme helps to encourage all children in care to have a love of books and reading as early as possible, and that you will enjoy reading them with the children in your care.

If you have any questions or comments about this scheme email us at: imaginationlibrary@lancashire.gov.uk.

Ideas sheets

A partnership of councils has produced a series of ideas sheets to accompany the Imagination Library books.

You can download these ideas and activities from the North Lincolnshire Council website.