The beloved early literacy program, which mails free books each month to children from birth to age 5, has officially launched in Napa County with help from local partners.
Four-year-old Itzayana and 3-year-old Dominic are in for a surprise: A fairy will soon drop two books at their doorstep — one for each of them. She’ll return every month, delivering free bilingual books until they turn 5.
That’s what their mother, Crystal Castillo of American Canyon, plans to tell them now that they’re enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The early literacy program, launched by the country music legend and philanthropist three decades ago in her native Tennessee, mails free, age-appropriate books to children from birth through age 5. Since its inception, the program has delivered more than 270 million books in across the U.S. and four other countries.
Now, thanks to a coalition of local partners — including First 5 Napa County, the Napa County Office of Education and the NCOE Foundation — Napa families can sign up, too.
“My kids are super creative and I feel like books open up a world of imagination for them,” Castillo said, “I’m so excited to grow our home’s library. We are a bilingual family so I think the bilingual books are going to help with my Spanish too. This program is going to help us in every possible way.”
At a program launch Wednesday afternoon at Napa County Office of Education’s Early Learning Center, about a dozen children darted across the playground as parents registered for the program and lined up for face painting. Napa County Superintendent of Schools Barbara Nemko introduced the crowd to the library’s mission — and to Dolly herself, in the form of a life-size cardboard cutout.
“When you read to your child, you are building up all the skills they need to become good readers so they are prepared when they get to school,” Nemko said. “It develops their brains — the first five years are essential.”
She then read “Coat of Many Colors,” a children’s book written by Parton, to a group of about 10 little ones gathered around her. The story, about a young girl whose mother sews her a winter coat from fabric scraps, will be the first book sent to all newly enrolled Napa County participants.
Napa County has roughly 6,000 children under age 5, according to census data. First 5 Napa County Executive Director Ashley Walker said the goal is to register at least 65% of them within the next year. Community outreach is underway to ensure every eligible family hears about the opportunity.
“This is important because access to books at home is the first step toward breaking down barriers to quality education and closing literacy gaps,” Walker said.
While the Imagination Library covers book selection and delivery logistics, local partners are responsible for spreading the word and covering half the cost of the books and mailing — about $1.30 per child per month. (For now, the state subsidizes the other half as part of a 2023 expansion push.)
With early support from groups like Child Start, Inc. and the Kiwanis Club of Napa, Napa County’s chapter has enough funds to run the program for its first two years. But sustaining it long-term, Walker said, will require continued investment from local donors and community partners.
“To keep this going forever, as we hope to, we need community partners and local donors to keep jumping in,” she said.
Families can register online at napaimaginationlibrary.org.
You can reach Tarini Mehta at 707-521-5337 or tarini.mehta@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @MehtaTarini.
