La Jolla families with children under 5 can soon receive a free book every month through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
The program announced a partnership with the La Jolla-rooted Dr. Seuss Foundation on Friday, Sept. 4, covering all of San Diego County's more than 170,000 children from birth to age 5. NBC San Diego reported it is the most populous county in the nation to offer the Imagination Library to every eligible child through a single countywide effort.
The San Diego launch is the largest in the nonprofit's 31-year history, according to Fox 5 San Diego.
"We are proud to honor Dolly's legacy by working in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to ensure every young child in San Diego County can develop a lifelong love of reading," Katie Rast, CEO of the Dr. Seuss Foundation, said.
The announcement came 10 days after Parton died Aug. 25 at age 80, following a previously undisclosed battle with cancer. Parton created the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who could not read or write. The program has distributed more than 330 million free books in five countries.
Chrissy Green, the Imagination Library's Southern California community engagement coordinator, told Fox 5 that each enrolled child receives one book mailed directly to their home every month until their fifth birthday. Green called the timing meaningful given Parton's death, saying the organization is committed to continuing the program.
A La Jolla connection
The Dr. Seuss Foundation carries deep La Jolla ties. Ted Geisel, the author and illustrator known as Dr. Seuss, moved to La Jolla in 1948 and lived here until his death in 1991. His wife Audrey Geisel died in La Jolla in 2018 at age 97. The foundation has given more than $300 million to charitable causes, according to its website.
The local effort is backed by California Senate Bill 1183, co-authored by then-Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) and Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield). The law established a statewide Imagination Library program with state funding to match money raised in each community. Atkins also serves on the board of the Dollywood Foundation, which supports the Imagination Library.
The program expanded to California in 2023, and more than 6,000 San Diego County families have already expressed interest.
How to sign up
Registration is not yet open. Families can visit imaginationlibrary.com, click "Check Availability," select San Diego County and enter their information to be notified when enrollment begins.
