Phil Bredesen said he wants to put educational books in the hands of every preschooler in Tennessee, building on Dolly Parton’s popular Imagination Library concept that is flourishing in a handful of communities around the state.

While visiting Chattanooga on Friday, Bredesen said that Dolly’s Imagination Library is the ideal model for a statewide public-private partnership to give children a running start on learning by equipping them with the best possible tools—books. Community leaders in a few Tennessee counties already have organized successful local Imagination Library programs.

“Promoting early childhood education is a major focus in my campaign,” said Bredesen, who is running for governor. “My goal is making sure that every child in Tennessee is reading at grade level by the time they finish third grade. One key to reaching that goal is helping kids develop an appreciation for books at the earliest possible age.”

The Imagination Library, launched in 1996 by the nonprofit Dollywood Foundation, mails out durable hardcover books to children each month from birth until age five. By the time they’re ready for kindergarten, children have collected enough books for their own 60-book personal library. The first volume is a classic story, “The Little Engine That Could.”

“When kids can anticipate finding a book in the mailbox each month, that builds excitement about reading,” said Bredesen. “Building excitement is the first step to encouraging a lifelong love of reading.” Studies show that preschoolers who explore books on their own at home, and whose parents read to them regularly, are better readers in elementary school. Parental involvement is vital.

Bredesen, who said he focused on improving education as Nashville mayor, proposes taking the Imagination Library program statewide in a public-private partnership that likely would be funded through a combination of sources, including state dollars, business contributions and nonprofit fundraising.

Under the plan, Dolly’s Imagination Library would mail out 4½ million books a year to an estimated 375,000 preschoolers throughout Tennessee. In Hamilton County alone, there are an estimated 18,444 children under age five. The projected annual statewide cost: $10.1 million, or about $27 per child. One possibility for covering the state’s share is earmarking a small portion of proceeds from a future state lottery, if one passes.

“This initiative can be underwritten any number of ways,” said Bredesen. “No matter how it’s funded, giving our children the tools to improve reading skills is a minimal investment that will pay dividends in our future.”

Community groups in 10 counties around the state—from Obion in West Tennessee to Jefferson in East Tennessee—already are seeing the positive effects of the Imagination Library. In Sevier County, where Dolly Parton grew up, 2,500 preschoolers now participate thanks to local corporate support. Nationwide, Dolly’s Imagination Library distributes books to children in 63 communities in 15 states from California to Maine.

Under Bredesen’s plan, Tennessee would be the first state to adopt the Imagination Library as a major component of its reading initiative. “When I asked the folks at the Dollywood Foundation if they would help,” Bredesen said, “their response was ‘Absolutely.’

“They know, and I know, that this is the kind of partnership that will keep our kids reading for the rest of their lives.”