Themes & Concepts
Prevalent Themes and Focus of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library:
Inspiration & Imagination
Other Fundamental Themes of Regard:
Love of reading and learning; regard for diversity of people, their roles, culture, and environment; promotion of self-esteem and confidence, appreciation of art and aesthetics
Each series of books should contain certain characteristics specific to its age appropriateness including:
Year 1
Group 1
The youngest children – newborns – ages 0 – < 1
Group 2
Ages < 1 = 1+ (turning 1)
- Vision – bright, big, colorful
- Touch – board pages
- Rhyme and rhythm
- Simple – easy to use
- Minimal text – point and say
- Playful sound
- Nurture – attachment- lullaby themes
Year 2
Group 3
Ages < 2 – 2+ (Turning 2)
- Continue concepts from year one and build upon them
- Repetition and predictability – generate language
- Books about daily routines, topics familiar to child
- Use of real photo illustration
- Body awareness
- Nursery rhymes
- Colors, letters, numbers
Year 3
Group 4
Ages < 3 – 3+ (Turning 3)
- Wordless books – build your own story (reader and child)
- Values and character
- Issues – fear, conflict, love, safety
- Colors, letters, numbers
- Nursery rhymes
Year 4
Group 5
Ages < 4 – 4+ (Turning 4)
- More complex stories – hero, complication, resolution
- Diversity of others – faces, environment – OK to be different
- Play, humor, fun
- Nursery rhymes and poetry
Year 5
Group 6
The oldest children – graduating children – turning 5 – ages < 5 – 5
- School preparation and readiness
- Use rebus (pictures used for words)
- Science – non-fiction
- Folk tales
- Thank you, appreciation
- Rhymes and poetry