Love of books through Imagination: Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton likes to call herself the Little Engine That Did. Others call her, Smoky Mountain Songbird, or the Iron Butterfly. A short documentary called, The Book Lady chronicles the launch of the Imagination Library in Canada.

Parton grew up dirt poor in the impoverished East Tennessee hills, she was fourth of 12 children of tobacco farmer Robert Lee and Avie Lee Parton. The seven time Grammy Award winner, now 63, says she read anything she could get her hands on. Dolly said “My mother read the Bible and I always loved fairy tales.” That’s why I’m so happy to teach kids to read. If you can read, you can self-educate.”

Most know Dolly Parton for her sky high platinum wigs, flamboyant outfits and outsized cleavage as well as her distinctive soprano. However to the new generation of children in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, she is known as the Book Lady. In 1996, her Imagination Library has been sending free, age-appropriate hardcover books to children in communities from the time they’re born until they’re five years old.

To read more on this story go to timestranscript.com.