Dolly Parton Pens Children's Book About Her God-Dog Billy the Kid

Music icon Dolly Parton and her Instagram-famous French bulldog Billy the Kid are bringing another exciting addition to children’s bookshelves. Today, the country music star announced the presale of her third kid’s book Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big. The colorful tome is co-written by Erica S. Perl, illustrated by MacKenzie Haley and focuses on standing up to people who put you down and finding the drive to achieve your dreams.

Parton’s god-dog Billy the Kid stars as the book’s main character—a talented French bulldog who loves barking along to the beat and is hoping to make it big as a country music star in Nashville, Tennessee.

As Billy attempts to shoot toward stardom, he quickly comes across some big bullies at the Battle of the Bow-wows. In order to overcome his fears and regain his self-confidence, he’ll need the help of his favorite songs, his friends and his favorite country music star.

“I am so proud to bring this book and the message it conveys to life,” Parton told People in an exclusive interview. “Years back I wrote a song Makin’ Fun Ain’t Funny for my children’s album I Believe In You. I wanted kids to understand how harmful bullying can be to someone.”

“When I launched the Doggy Parton line of pet products earlier this year, my god-dog Billy got to be the star of the show. Since he’s a big star now, I knew a story with him at the center could help drive home important messages in a unique way,” the children’s literacy advocate added. “I hope this is the first of many books with Billy.”

Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big is currently available for preorder at Amazon.com. The book will be officially released on April 25, 2023.

In the meantime, you can buy Parton’s existing works, Coat of Many Colors and I Am A Rainbow on Amazon.com.