July 4, 2025 - FRESNO, Calif. – Children in Fresno County have something new to look forward to every month: a free book in their mailbox, courtesy of a partnership between a country music legend and the State of California.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that mails a book each month to kids from birth until they’re five years old – completely free of charge – has arrived in Fresno County.
The program was started by country musician Dolly Parton to originally benefit the children of her home county in East Tennessee – and has since seen an explosion in popularity on a national and global scale. The purpose is to ensure every child has access to books, regardless of their family’s income.
“She was very happy because it came in her name,” said Teresa Perez, who signed her daughter up for the program. “They see it as a gift.”
Bringing the program to Fresno County took collaboration and partnership between the State and many early childhood champions, including City of Fresno Councilmember Tyler Maxwell, First 5 Fresno County, its nonprofit arm Lighthouse for Children, Inc. and countless others.
“We needed to make sure that partners in our community that are committed to the health and well-being of our children were a part of this,” said Fabiola González, executive director of First 5 Fresno County.
“In Fresno County, over 60% of third graders can’t read at grade level, and that has a significant impact throughout the child’s life,” said Maxwell. “A lot of people think literacy starts in the classroom, but it starts at home.”
To get the project launched and operational in Fresno County, organizers needed to raise $800,000. Through Senate Bill 1183, authored by Senator Shannon Grove, California provides a 50% match to help expand the Imagination Library across the state. Maxwell announced a fundraising campaign in November 2024 to try to meet the remaining $400,000.
If we could get children reading at an early age, that’s going to have a ripple effect across our entire community for generations to come.
City of Fresno Councilmember Tyler Maxwell
Thanks to that campaign, more than 90 donations rolled in from businesses, community organizations, community members and more – including a $50,000 donation from Valley Children’s Healthcare. The fundraiser met its goal, and the program is now available to any child under the age of five in Fresno County.
“It’s a game-changer for families because it helps us to begin early literacy, promote it early at home, and make sure that all of our babies are ready to learn by the time they show up to the first day of school,” said González.
It’s a game-changer for families.
First 5 Fresno County Executive Director Fabiola González
The Guilds Center for Community Health at Valley Children’s was created to impact children outside the hospital, where they live, learn and play – and a partnership that leads to free books for kids falls right in line with the mission.
“We understand that there is so much more to health than what happens inside the hospital walls, and that’s where the Guild Center for Community Health wants to play an even bigger role,” said Dr. Carmela Sosa, director of the Guilds Center for Community Health. “We want to address the 80% to 90% of factors that influence health before you get to the doctor’s office.”
“Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library could not have happened in Fresno County had it not been for big champions like Valley Children’s and many others that stepped in,” said González.
As of July 2025, more than 8,000 Fresno County children are enrolled in the Imagination Library program, with more than 20,000 books now in the hands of kids for free. Approximately 20% of those children live in rural communities.
“We’re very excited to be part of the program,” said Perez, who mentioned that early literacy played a positive role in the development of her older children and that she’s thankful to have this program to help her daughter.
“It does help her a lot, her vocabulary has dramatically changed since she started reading new books. She’s learning new words and sounds, and it starts preparing her for school,” said Perez.
According to First 5 Fresno County, the goal in Fresno County is to reach upwards of 43,000 children by 2030, which will require additional fundraising efforts in the years to come.
To sign your child up for the free program, click here.
Source: Valley Children's Healthcare, Madera County, CA.
