My Little Golden Book About Dolly Parton

My Little Golden Book About...

by Deborah Hopkinson, Monique Dong (Illustrator)

Help your little one dream big with a Little Golden Book biography all about beloved entertainer Dolly Parton! The perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers!

What's not to love about Dolly Parton? The multi-talented entertainer is generous, humble, smart, and funny. This Little Golden Book biography shares how someone from incredibly poor beginnings can blossom and persevere to become an award-winning songwriter and singer, actress, author, literacy advocate--and she even has her own theme park! Young girls and boys will definitely feel inspired after hearing Dolly's story.

Look for more Little Golden Book
• Willie Nelson
• Beyoncé
• Taylor Swift
• Tony Bennett

Genres: Biography, Picture Books, Music, Nonfiction, Childrens, Biography Memoir, Pop Culture

24 pages, Hardcover

Published September 21, 2021

About the author

I write nonfiction and historical fiction, picture books, and Golden Books. I speak at school, libraries, and conferences. I also love to garden and offer manuscript critiques. (Deborahhopkinson@yahoo.com)

NEW books in 2024 include DETERMINED DREAMER: THE STORY OF MARIE CURIE, illus by Jen Hill, ON A SUMMER NIGHT, illus by Kenard Pak, TRIM HELPS OUT and TRIM SAILS the STORM, illus by Kristy Caldwell, EVIDENCE! illustrated by Nik Henderson, and a nonfiction work called THEY SAVED THE STALLIONS. I'm delighted to say that Trim Helps Out, Trim Sails the Storm, On a Summer Night and Evidence! are all Junior Library Guild selections.

I live and work in Oregon and travel all over to speak to young readers and writers.

Reviews

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dolly Parton is like no one else. And one thing is certain: Everyone loves Dolly!

I loved the Betty White Golden Book by Deborah Hopkinson and this one is also excellent. Whimsical illustrations accompany a narrative that communicates the beauty of Dolly's life to readers of all ages. I am sure Dolly is a fan of this book. Even though it is brief, so much is said about this American treasure. May she live long and continue to prosper!

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful first book on Dolly Parton. I am a big fan; she is that rare combination of an icon who still is grounded in who she really is. LGB has added some really fantastic titles to their library of classic; please check them out if you are looking for positive reading material for small children.

[Gary Anderson]

A few weeks ago, this Little Golden Book featuring Dolly Parton was on sale for ninety-eight cents. I bought four copies of it to share through our Little Free Library to promote Parton’s story to young readers because of her resilience, creativity, and philanthropy. With just one copy left, I realized that I hadn’t yet read it! I was glad to see that the wonderful children’s author Deborah Hopkinson touched on all of those themes in her necessarily brief treatment of Dolly’s life and career. Monique Dong’s illustrations are in sync with the traditional look of Little Golden Books: bright colors, big eyes, and a lot of smiles. While some children may have familiarity with Parton’s Imagination Library, this Little Golden Book can also spark curiosity about song-writing, including specific songs from Dolly Parton’s massive catalog, including “Coat of Many Colors” “Love Is Like a Butterfly,” and “Nine to Five.” My Little Golden Book About Dolly Parton is also a nice choice for a bedtime story.

[Jocelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable little golden biography about Dolly Parton. Dolly’s story is incredibly inspirational. This little book hit all the major points of her life. I really liked the fact that her husband Carl Dean was mentioned in the book. He has remained largely in the background of her life but, I know that he has played a very big part of her success.

I love the fact that Dolly is still relevant after all these years. She has been around so long that multiple generations have come to know and love her. I also love the fact that she has a charity that supplies books to children, thus creating another legacy of literacy. She created it in honor of her father.

Highly recommend this book.

[Alyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this is a book for children but I truly cried while reading it. Dolly Parton is perfect 🦋

[Mandi Hidalgo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really cute and informative book about everyone's favorite country darling. Truly an American icon captured in this adorable Little Golden Book!

[Naomi Saucke · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s so nice, I read it twice!

[Jen CE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Dolly Parton, and this is a great little book summarizing her journey to being the shining star we all know and love! Happy to share this book with both my niece, and my Little Free Library patrons!

[Sarafina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone does love Dolly.

[Mairead · Rating 5 out of 5]

my cousin gave me this for Christmas LOL i love you dolly

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dammit, this book is adorable! Dolly Parton is a national treasure and it’s nice that there’s a kid’s book about her. I learned from this book that she likes butterflies and that she once got lost in the woods and, eventually, one of the family cows found her and lead her home to safety. In this moment right now, life is okay. Now I have to go back to being an adult and get back to work.

[Danielle Grimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet little book for lower elementary classrooms! 💖

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did I buy and read this for myself? Absolutely. did I learn a lot? Yes. I would definitely read it again and it would be a perfect gift for somebody that does love Dolly Parton or for kids to know an icon that can change the world.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book at my local grocery store and wanted to buy it to add to my Little Free Library, but I love Dolly myself and decided to read it first. I'm really glad I took the few minutes to do so. I didn't learn anything I didn't already know, but the book is a great introduction to who she is as a human being and the illustrations are adorable. I look forward to passing this book on for someone else to enjoy.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations in this biography are warm and the story is inspiring.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative, well drawn, and quite frankly super sweet kid’s book detailing the life of the queen of country. Love Dolly, and this book does her life story justice.

[pankatereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

am i 17? yes. did i just read a children’s book because it’s about dolly parton? yes.

[NY-DOGWALKER · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kick off your New Year with a burst of inspiration by diving into an engaging read about Tennessee’s most cherished icon, Dolly Parton, who turns 80 this year!! “My Little Golden Book About Dolly Parton” is a celebration of the legendary country music star’s life. This sweet book traces Dolly’s life from her humble roots in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, through her journey to Nashville in pursuit of her musical dreams, to the creation of her own theme park, and the launch of her global book giving non-profit, The Imagination Library. This children’s book captures Dolly’s endearing spirit and shows her positive impact on the world of music and literacy. I highly recommend this book for young readers ages four to eight because I believe like Dolly “You can never get enough books into the hands of a child”

[Rolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids adored this book. They already love Dolly Parton (we listen to her music regularly, and one of our dogs is named Dolly), and they had so many fun questions after we read this. They also loved the connection to the Imagination Library books, as we have several dozen of those in our own collection, and they had a lot of fun looking for the Imagination Library logo on the cover of pictures books in our collection after reading this.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't love Dolly Parton? I got this book for my friend who loves Dolly and has a kindergartener who probably would be into what Dolly's into. This is a fun little biography for kids talking about Dolly's childhood in Tennessee, her rise to fame, her famously private marriage (RIP Carl Dean), and finally to the creation of her Imagination Library to make sure that as many children as possible grow up with books and the power of reading. Absolutely charming.

[Jo-Ann Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is much different from the Little Golden Books I read all my life. This is appropriate for the older child.

It is a simply written autobiography of Dolly Parton with lovely illustrations. It is very sweet and ties in events of her childhood with events in her future and her music.

I am sure it will be a favorite of young readers.

[MissyLynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely illustrated children's book to introduce Dolly Parton to the next generation.

I adore the art style used and it captures Dolly perfectly.

St. Dolly can pretty much do no wrong. A talented, giving, tattooed, childfree woman in country music who donates books to children, helped fund research for a Covid vaccine and has been married to a man she loves for over fifty years.

[Lauren M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The My Little Golden Books are always so wonderful, but this particular book is one of the best!

This book is such a wonderful little overview of Dolly Parton. Not only does it provide a short biography for kids, but it overall captures the gentle charm and love of Dolly. The illustrations were also very bright and cheerful, much like Dolly!

Let's be more like Dolly!

[Manda Marigold · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a children's biography of country music star Dolly Parton. Dolly's love of music developed from a young age. By the age of ten, she was performing on radio and TV. The book also discusses some of her other ventures, such as acting and her theme park. Overall, this book is a decent little read with beautiful illustrations.

[Abbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute! Got it for Christmas and might re-read a few more times through the winter. My friends know me all too well, but I love the inspiration of Dolly's story and a small town girl who does well and changes the world.

[Alex | | findingmontauk1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She began by singing on a woodpile. Now the whole world is her stage."

I love Dolly Parton!
And how do they still make these books smell exactly the same as they did when I grew up? One whiff is pure nostalgia!

[Lynn Grundset Milner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a lifelong Dolly fan and received this book as a gift from a dear friend. I read it with my granddaughters and learned several things about Dolly that I didn't know before. Dolly is a national treasure.

[Gia Bittner · Rating 5 out of 5]

We picked up this highly appropriate souvenir on our trip to Knoxville at a local indie bookstore. It’s so cute! It includes the origin story of “Coat of Many Colors” and contains some sweet stories about Dolly’s determination and generosity. A great role model!
-Mama

[Firetruckmama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dolly Parton is an icon and while I think this book is a good introduction to kids who may not know about her, for those who do know things about her, it was a little lacking [only one song was mentioned, for instance - though songwriting was mentioned]. I'd give this a 4.5 rating overall.

[Little Seesaw]

This is a great story about Dolly and I am a huge fan of Dolly and Little Golden Books. I was so happy to add this to my collection.