August 27, 2026 — 5:58pmTears were shed around the globe after Dolly Parton’s death, but for some of the many children in Australia who have received the gift of books thanks to the US singer’s generosity, the news landed particularly hard.In south-west Victoria, seven-year-old Willow Board cried because she’d lost her hero, who had been sending her a book every month since she was born.Willow Board, 7, received books each month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and got to speak to the singer via video link in 2023.Nicole Cleary“Thanks Miss Dolly,” Willow used to say each time she got a book from the letterbox.Those deliveries were thanks to the Imagination Library, Parton’s free book gifting program, established in 1995, which has delivered 300 million books to children all over the world.When she was five, Willow was one of a handful of kids who got to meet Parton via video link. They talked about favourite books and the fact they both come from big families (Willow has six siblings). Parton spoke to every child.After hearing about Parton’s death, Willow said: “God would say she should be back on earth because she is a real-life angel.”Inspiration for the library, which gives a book a month to a child until they turn five, came from Parton’s own life – “my own dad who was not able to read nor write but was one of the smarter people one would ever want to know”.“Daddy was able to see [the program] take off and do good, and to hear the kids call me the book lady, he got such a kick out of that,” Parton said, adding that he considered it the best thing she ever did.Every delivery comes with information about the story and its author, as well as ideas for parents to discuss with their child after they finish reading the book.Those tips are designed to help improve parents’ literacy, giving them skills teachers might use, such as encouraging the child to predict the story based on the cover or pictures within.The Imagination Library partners with Australian providers to deliver the program, including not-for-profit United Way, which has done so since 2013.United Way Australia CEO Lyndsey McKee says early literacy was identified as a clear need in Australia when the organisation became involved. “We knew that there was this wonderful program that was trusted and loved by many,” she says. “Those early years are absolutely critical.”Around 50,000 children are enrolled currently in Australia, and more than 134,000 have taken part since its introduction. “The evidence is so significant around what a book in the home can mean for children in those critical years,” says McKee. “A child is 10 times more developmentally vulnerable if there is no reading at home.”How books are provided differs from state to state. In Victoria, United Way partners with kindergartens, while in NSW, it’s mainly through the Department of Education; local libraries are also often involved. About 70 per cent of the books are by Australian authors or illustrators, including about 10 per cent Indigenous creatives.Tanya Donovan whose children