The Blackford County Community Foundation partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Blackford United Way to provide high quality children’s books to every child under the age of five in Blackford County. One book is mailed each month to every enrolled child at no cost to the child’s family.

This program began in Blackford County in 2006 in response to one woman’s special interest in the program, Kay Schrope, an elementary and special needs teacher retired from Blackford County Schools. The program was funded that year with an initial grant of $2,000 from the Foundation and an additional $2,000 from United Way. In 2007 Blackford United Way took over complete funding of the project while the Foundation continues to administer the program by accepting program donations, advocating the program, handling the enrollments, dispersing funds, and maintaining the mailing list with Dolly Parton’s organization. Currently, 477 Blackford County children between the ages of 0 and 5 are enrolled, approximately 2/3 of the estimated number of local children in that age span. Since 2006, 476 children have graduated from the program as five-year-olds.

The Foundation supports Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and encourages all Blackford County children five and under to be a part of this generous local program. Register your child online and start receiving books today!

Origin of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

In 1996, Dolly Parton launched this program in an effort to help children of her home county. She wanted children to develop a love of books and to feel the magic that books can create, so each month her program mailed a brand new, age appropriate book to every child under five in Sevier County, Tennessee.

The first book, The Little Engine That Could, helped children experience the joy of having their very own book. The program was a huge success in her county, which inspired Ms. Parton to expand the program to two other communities where her businesses now operate – Branson, Missouri, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Finally, Ms. Parton further extended the program to additional communities by providing organizational support through The Dollywood Foundation to send a high quality, age-appropriate book to each enrolled child for as many as sixty total books before that child enters kindergarten.

In order for a community to participate in the program, it must make the program available to all children 5 and under. The sponsoring community pays for the books and the mailing, promotes the program within the community, registers the children, and enters all the information into the mailing database. In return, The Dollywood Foundation carefully chooses the books each year to ensure that the very best children’s literature is delivered to our youngest children and then mails individual books to the homes of enrolled children.

Imagination Library 2012 Book List

The first month after a child enrolls, he/she receives a copy of the book Dolly Parton first gave to all of the children in her home county, The Little Engine That Could.

Children born in 2012 receive books that are bright, with big drawings, and colorful. Some are board books, but all are simple, easy to use, with minimal text.

Giggles With Daddy	Peekaboo Morning
Gingerbread Man	Where’s My Nose?
Look Look!	Where’s Spot?
Look At the Animals	Whose Baby Am I?
Max’s First Word	Winnie-the-Pooh’s Opposites
My First Songs

Children born in 2011 receive books that have repetition and predictability. Some show children doing familiar things. Others teach about colors, letters or numbers.

All of Baby Nose to Toes	Pouch!
A Mud Pie For Mother	Roly Poly Pangolin
ABC Look At Me	Red Wagon
Corduroy Goes to the Doctor	Spot Goes the the Library
Good Night, Gorilla	Sleep, Baby, Sleep
The Story of Ferdinand	Three Little Kittens
Little Loon and Papa	Your Kind of Mommy
Little Pink Pup

Children born in 2010 receive books that help them understand feelings and resolve issues. Some books may have no words and they can create their own story.

1,2,3 to the Zoo	One Foot, Two Feet
Big Brother, Little Brother	Over in the Meadow
Big Sister, Little Sister	Road Work Ahead
I Am A Rainbow	Roar of a Snore
Little Owl’s Night	Rhymes ‘Round the World
Llama, Llama Red Pajama	The Wild Little Horse
Mine-o-saur	Tomie dePaola’s Mother Goose
My Little Train

Children born in 2009 receive books that are more complex and feature the diversity of others. There are nursery rhymes, poems, and lots of good humor.

A House Is a House for Me	Love, Mouserella
Blueberries for Sal	Madeline
Bun Bun Button	My Lucky Day
Corduroy	Old Bear and His Cub
Goldilocks and the Three Bears	Pretend
Llama Llama Mad at Mama	Read to Tiger
Little Monkey Lost	The Story of Ferdinand

Children born in 2008 receive books with more details (hero, complication, resolution) and show that is okay to be different. Some are funny and playful.

Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain	My Baby Blue Jays
Grandfather Buffalo	Otis
Legend Of The Indian Paintbrush	Strega Nona’s Harvest
Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy	Take Care Good Knight
Llama Llama Home With Mama	Taking Care of Mama
Llama Llama Misses Mama	The House That Jack Built
Luke Goes to Bat	The Snowy Day

Children born in 2007 receive folk tales, non-fiction science books, rhymes and poetry. Other stories address school preparation and readiness.

At This Very Moment	Sylvia Jean, Scout Supreme
Born Yesterday	The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Holler Loudly	Wanted: the Perfect Pig
I Wanna New Room	What’s the Big Idea, Molly?
Mary and Her Little Lamb	Where Butterflies Grow
Owl Moon

A child receives Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! as he/she graduates from the program in the month of his/her fifth birthday.

Donations to Support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Blackford County

The Foundation accepts donations for funding this project with the young children of Blackford County. You may send a check with the Memo line marked for “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library” to

Blackford County Community Foundation
121 N. High Street
P.O. Box 327
Hartford City, IN 47348.

Of you may donate online. Please record “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library” in the Purpose of Donation box.