The newly expanded book-giving program will bestow California with the most extensive Imagination Library nationwide, also making it the first state to provide a bilingual book option in English and Spanish. Parton, legendary and award-winning country music artist, actress and icon, started the Imagination Library in 1995 with a vision to foster a love of reading.
“He couldn’t read and write, and that hindered him a great deal because he was so smart. It really bothered him a lot” Parton told CNN in a 2019 interview. The program aims to provide preschool-aged children and their families with specifically selected books despite their financial backgrounds, according to the organization’s website. Since the initiative launched, the Imagination Library has gifted over 200 million books across 50 states.