Dolly Parton donates her 100 millionth book for charity

Dolly Parton has been a country music darling for decades, known for her distinct voice and even more distinct style, but one of her most important accomplishments has less to do with music and everything to do with childhood literacy.

The Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated recording artist donated her 100 millionth (that’s right, 100 millionth) book on Tuesday through her nonprofit organization Imagination Library. After launching her organization back in 1995, Parton started donating books to children in her home state of Tennessee. She was inspired by her late father, who did not know how to read or write, and now, Imagination Library donates over 1 million books a month to kids in need around the world.

“It makes me feel proud of who I am, where I’m from and the fact that I am in a position to help people and especially the kids,” Parton said about Imagination Library’s landmark donation in an ABC News story. “It’s so important to me because if you can teach children to read, they can dream. And if you dream, you can be successful.”

In celebration of her 100 millionth book donated, Parton gave a reading of her own children’s book Coat of Many Colors at the Library of Congress. The book is about a true story inspired by Dolly’s mother, which made the moment even more special. The proud “book lady” sat in front of local preschoolers as she read (and sang) to eager eyes and ears. How lucky are those kids?

“Of all the things I’ve done in my life — and it’s been a lot because I’ve been around — this is the most precious,” she said, as reported by The Washington Post. “Maybe we’ll be back for a billion.”

Parton’s reading at the Library of Congress also marks a new partnership between the library and her charity. For the new partnership, there will be live book-readings that can be streamed online and will be shared with other libraries in the U.S., according to The Washington Post story.

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Thanks to Dolly Parton, children around America and the entire world will have a chance to be exposed to a whole new world of adventure and knowledge through books. And there’s nothing more important than that.