Singer-Songwriter Dolly Parton to Read Bedtime Stories to Children Over the Internet

Singer-songwriter Dolly Parton will be reading bedtime stories to children over the internet as families across the country stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic. Parton made this announcement in an online video – wearing pajamas and holding a book.

“This is something I have been wanting to do for quite a while, but the timing never felt quite right,” Parton said in a statement through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. “I think it is pretty clear that now is the time to share a story and to share some love.”

The “Goodnight with Dolly” video series will run for 10 weeks and will begin at 7 p.m. EST on April 2nd. It “will focus on comforting and reassuring children during the shelter-in-place mandates.”

USA Today reported that viewers can catch “Goodnight with Dolly” on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. She will read books “specifically chosen for their appropriate content at this unique time.”

The first story is “The Little Engine That Could.” Fox News reported that according to the library, “the book is an ongoing source of inspiration for Parton, and it's the first book given to all children when they register for the program.”

This is EXACTLY what the world needs right now (and me too): Dolly Parton Will Read Bedtime Stories To Kids Online Every Week https://t.co/e5RgHMeBeO

— Vivian Salama (@vmsalama) April 1, 2020

According to NPR, the other books in the series are:

• There's a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake by Loren Long
• Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney
• I Am a Rainbow by Dolly Parton
• Pass It On by Sophy Henn
• Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon by Patty Lovell
• Violet the Pilot by Steve Breen
• Max & The Tag-Along Moon by Floyd Cooper
• Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña
• Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton

“Dolly hopes these videos will provide a welcomed distraction during a time of unrest and also inspire a love of reading and books in the hearts of the children who see them,” the library said.

April 2nd was the intended date for the release of a documentary on the book-giving program, “The Library that Dolly Built.” It has been pushed back to September 21st, as reported by Fox News.