Communities Across Canada Invited to Join ‘One Big Celebration of Reading’ on June 26
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is celebrating a remarkable milestone in Canada: 20 years of inspiring young readers and more than 5 million books mailed to children across the country.
To commemorate this achievement, communities, families, educators, libraries, and local partners across Canada came together on June 26 for One Big Celebration of Reading, highlighting the joy of books and the impact of early literacy in children’s lives.
Inspiring a Love of Reading From Coast-to-Coast-to-Coast
Since launching in Canada in 2006, the program has helped inspire a love of reading by gifting high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to children from birth to age five — completely free to families. What began as a small initiative has grown into a nationwide movement reaching children in every province and territory, made possible through the dedication of more than 400 local program partners. These community champions help enroll families, raise local funding, and share the program with parents and caregivers, ensuring that more than 60,000 books arrive in mailboxes across Canada each month.
Today, the program also reflects a deep commitment to representation and inclusivity through a growing collection of stories that celebrate the richness and diversity of Canadian communities. This includes a strong emphasis on Indigenous voices and storytelling, with many books in the program highlighting the cultures, experiences, and traditions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.
“For 20 years, families across Canada have opened their mailboxes to discover the magic of a new book,” said Jeanne Smitiuch, Senior Regional Director, Canada, The Dollywood Foundation. “Reaching 5 million books mailed is an incredible testament to what communities can accomplish together to support children and inspire a lifelong love of reading.”
Groundbreaking international research of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library continues to show the powerful impact that access to books in the home can have on children and families. In Canada, children enrolled in the program were 13 times more likely to be read to four or more days each week compared to children not enrolled in the program, and 11 times more likely to independently initiate shared book reading with a caregiver.
The research also highlights how books help create meaningful moments of connection between children and caregivers. Caregivers participating in the program were 6 times more likely to count images while reading, 8 times more likely to describe images and illustrations, and 5 times more likely to encourage children to physically hold and interact with the book during story time compared to caregivers not participating in the program.
These shared reading experiences are also linked to important developmental benefits. Children enrolled in the program were 7 times more likely to demonstrate expressive vocabulary skills, reinforcing the important role joyful reading experiences play in early childhood development, communication, and school readiness.
One Big Celebration of Reading
One Big Celebration of Reading on June 26 brought communities together across the country through read-aloud events, family literacy activities, special guest readers, and local celebrations hosted by partners from coast to coast to coast. The day was designed to celebrate the joy of reading, inspire meaningful moments of connection between children and caregivers, and recognize the collective impact communities can make when every child has access to books and the opportunity to dream big through reading.
From British Columbia to Nova Scotia—and from large cities to small communities—Local Program Partners found creative ways to mark the occasion. Families gathered for library story times in Chestermere, Alberta, while the Kitasoo community in British Columbia partnered with the local post office to hand out crayons and colouring sheets. Communities including Quadra Island, Upper Skeena, Shuswap, Saskatoon, Newell, Brantford and Brant County, Woodstock, and Antigonish each celebrated in their own unique way, with activities ranging from story times and guest readers to community fundraisers, anniversary festivities, and family literacy events.
In the Northwest Territories, partners recognized the milestone during their Bike for Books fundraiser earlier in June. A second celebration was postponed due to the evacuation of Fort Simpson, and our thoughts remain with the community during this challenging time.
The celebrations also attracted local media attention, including coverage by CTV Saskatoon, helping spread the message about the importance of early literacy and the impact of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Beyond the events themselves, some of the most meaningful moments came from the families who shared their stories. In Saskatoon, a mother named Katelyn, who recently enrolled her son in the program, shared that their family has set a goal of reading 1,000 books before kindergarten—and has already read nearly 800 together.
“Having Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library books delivered right to our home will make this goal even easier to achieve.”
At another celebration, Maria and her son traveled a long distance to attend an event at the Alice Turner Library.
“We came a very long way to participate today, and I’m glad we did.”
These simple but powerful moments remind us why this work matters.
Twenty years ago, Dolly Parton stood on a stage in Toronto and announced that Canada would become the first international partner of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Today, thanks to the dedication of more than 475 Local Program Partners—and thousands of volunteers, donors, educators, libraries, Indigenous organizations, municipalities, and community champions—more than 5 million books have been gifted to Canadian children, helping inspire a lifelong love of reading.
“Every child deserves the chance to fall in love with reading,” said Timberly Pierce, Director of North America, The Dollywood Foundation . “I’m so proud to celebrate this incredible milestone in Canada and grateful to all the local partners and families who have helped make it possible.”
Whether a community hosted a large celebration, welcomed a handful of families for story time, or simply shared the joy of reading with a child, each one helped write the next chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Canada—one book at a time.