The official program, the Imagination Library, mails free books to children from birth to age five. It’s Dolly’s big, glittery heart on full display. But the “Good Night with Dolly” video series? That’s the buffet line for grown-ups who need a bedtime snack.
My friend Karen tried it. She has a toddler who screams like a tiny velociraptor at bath time. She put on Dolly reading There’s a Bear on My Chair. The kid stopped crying. Karen stopped crying. They both sat there, mouths slightly open, as Dolly turned the page. It was like literary Xanax.
You don’t even need a kid to enjoy it. I’m a childless adult who eats cereal for dinner, and I listen to Dolly read while I fold laundry. It transforms a chore into a moment. Suddenly, I’m not folding socks; I’m participating in a gentle, Southern-tinged ritual.
What About the Grown-Up Books?
You might think, “But Dolly, I want a novel with swears and complicated love triangles!” She gets it. She’s got a separate initiative called the Dolly Parton Book Club that picks one book per month for adults. It’s free to follow, and she often picks stories that feel like warm banana pudding—comforting but with a little kick.
The book selections are diverse. They feature authors from all walks of life. It’s like a potluck where everyone brings their weird, delicious casserole. You don’t have to eat it all, but you’ll probably want seconds. I read Run, Rose, Run (co-written by Dolly herself), and I felt like I was on a tour bus with her. Pure escapism.
10 Ideas to Help Kids Read More - The Aloha Hut
You don’t need to write essays or attend live discussions. You just read. Or listen. Or half-listen while scrolling pictures of corgis. No one’s grading you. Dolly wants you to be a little lazy about it. She said once, “Find your joy.” And if your joy is half-reading a book while eating leftover Halloween candy, she approves.
