Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Dances His Heart Out

Dolly Parton is the most honored and revered female singer-songwriter of all time. She has garnered eleven Grammy Awards and fifty-five nominations, including the Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1999, Parton was inducted into the coveted Country Music Hall of Fame, and in 2022, she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. She is the author of multiple bestselling books, including Songteller; Run, Rose, Run (with James Patterson); Behind the Seams; and Good Lookin’ Cookin’. To date, Parton has donated over 270 million books to children around the world with her Imagination Library.

Erica S. Perl is the author of more than forty books for young readers. Her middle grade novels include All Three Stooges (National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor Book), When Life Gives You O.J. (ALA Notable, Amazon Best Book), and White Bird: A Novel (with R.J. Palacio). Erica’s picture books include When Carrot Met Cookie and Billy the Kid Makes It Big (with Dolly Parton). She also writes early chapter books (the Arnold and Louise series) and early readers (the Truth or Lie series and the Lucky Dogs series). Erica is on the faculty of Vermont College of Fine Arts’ MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program. She loves dogs, guinea pigs, stale red licorice, and visiting schools. Her website is ericaperl.com and her social media presence is @ericaperl.