Dolly Parton will read bedtime stories online through her Imagination Library program beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 2, at www.imaginationlibrary.com.
Youth Partners in Jefferson County coordinates the local Imagination Library, according to a news release.
“The country queen is hosting ‘Goodnight with Dolly,’ a 10-week special series of weekly videos featuring Dolly reading certain books from the Imagination Library. The program launches on April 2, with hopes that it will inspire a love of books during this time of unrest and provide comfort and reassurance to coping kids and families during the shelter-in-place mandates,” according to the release.
Dolly selected “The Little Engine That Could” to kick off the series since it has been a source of inspiration for her throughout the years. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the book.
“The Little Engine That Could” is the welcome book that all newly registered children in the United States and Canada receive when they sign up for the Imagination Library. The book-gifting program was started in 1995 to give free books to every child in Sevier County from birth to age five.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
To find out how to get a child’s free books in Jefferson County, parents may contact the Imagination Library at 870-534-8251 or email:youthpartners@pbreynoldscenter.org to request registration forms.
The Imagination Library program is made possible in part through the Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation and Sarah J. Creasy Endowment Grade Level Reading grant, contributions from Relyance Bank, Simmons Bank, Harold Seabrook Trust, United Way of Southeast Arkansas and other local contributions.
The first book will be read on the Imagination Library’s web page – www.imaginationlibrary.com and can be seen on most devices, according to the news release.