“A beautiful initiative”: How daily reading rituals helped build early literacy at home

Abby and her family are navigating the beautiful chaos of life with two very young boys. 

Rossy is three, Augie is 10-months. 

Based in Narrabri in regional NSW, Abby was introduced to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library through a midwife at Tamworth Hospital. She signed Rossy up immediately.

“It just felt like such a beautiful initiative,” she says.

Seeing his name on the envelope when the books started arriving lit Rossy up, as he understood immediately that this was something chosen for him.

From then on, the arrival of the book became a small but powerful ritual: spotting theenvelope, opening it together, and turning the pages for the first time.

Abby has noticed Rossy’s interest in books has grown noticeably since being involved. 

He now asks to read “his books” and will bring them over independently, Abby says, initiating reading time – something that once required encouragement.

Abby has also noticed Rossy’s vocabulary expanding and his storytelling becoming more imaginative as he recognises more letters and engages more deeply with the stories.

A shared language between brothers

Augie, only 10-months-old, was quickly drawn in, turning board book pages and sitting beside his older brother while he read.

Abby notes the books have become a shared language between the boys. 

She recalls how one evening Rossy picked up one of the Imagination Library books and ,‘read’ it back to Augie from memory. 

As he turned the pages in order, retelling the story in his own words and full of enthusiasm, mimicking the tone his mum uses when she reads aloud.

Abby realised that shared reading was making a real difference as her toddler stepped into the role of storyteller, with his baby brother alongside him.

An impact beyond books

Reading had always been something Abby and her partner valued, but like for many families with young children, consistency wasn’t always easy.

Bedtime routines could be unpredictable. Some nights were smooth. Others were overtired and rushed.

Being involved in the program, with its regular monthly delivery, brought consistency and routine to the family’s reading habits – and they have never looked back.

It is also a highly accessible and equitable program.

“Programs like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library matter because they remove barriers and make books accessible to every family, regardless of location or income,” Abby says.

“To another parent, I’d say: absolutely sign up. It’s simple, it’s free, and the impact goes beyond just the books. It creates connection, routine and joy.”

 

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