Dolly Parton’s Billy The Kid Dances His Heart Out Set for December 2 Release and Available Now for Pre-Order
On December 2, 2025, Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers will publish Dolly Parton’s Billy The Kid Dances His Heart Out, the third standalone children’s picture book in Dolly’s New York Times bestselling series featuring French bulldog, her god-dog, Billy the Kid. In this follow up to Billy the Kid Makes It Big and Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas, French bulldog and musical superstar Billy the Kid faces one of his biggest fears: dancing in front of an audience. To prepare for his exciting gig opening for Dolly Parton’s Doggy Dance Pawty, Billy enrolls in dance lessons and is paw-struck by his teacher, Bella, who is as graceful as she is beautiful. But trying to win Bella’s attention causes Billy to stumble even more—can he nail the dance routine and catch Bella’s eye, all before the big dance pawty? Dolly Parton has written an original song “Bella” specifically for this book, available December 2 in tandem with the book release. The book will be available both in hardcover and as an audiobook narrated by Dolly herself.
“I am excited to introduce Bella into Billy’s life in our new book!” exclaims Dolly. “Creating stories that are fun, real, and carry life lessons hopefully makes it meaningful for children and their parents to experience the joy of reading together.”
Dolly’s previous children’s books include Coat Of Many Colors (1994) and I Am A Rainbow (2009). In 2023, Dolly introduced the beloved new character Billy the Kid, inspired by her favorite god-dog, in Billy the Kid Makes It Big. The book was an instant New York Times bestseller and dubbed a “wholesome howl” by Kirkus Reviews. Her festive 2024 follow-up, Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas, was called “heartfelt” and “adorable” by School Library Journal.
Francesco Sedita, President & Publisher, Penguin Workshop, said, “There is no greater joy than working with Dolly on a book about dogs, dancing, and love! And to get a brand-new song from Dolly in the process has been a dream come true. We’re so excited to give Dolly—and her god-dog Billy—a brand new stage.”
Now Available for Pre-Order
Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Dances His Heart Out, written by Dolly Parton with Erica S. Perl and illustrated by MacKenzie Haley, is set for release on December 2, 2025, wherever books are sold—and is now available for pre-order.
