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Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Dances His Heart Out

Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley
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Hardcover
$19.99 US
9.44"W x 9.38"H x 0.35"D   | 12 oz | 36 per carton
On sale Dec 02, 2025 | 40 Pages | 9780593755020
Age 4-7 years | Preschool - 2
Reading Level: Lexile 540L | Fountas & Pinnell M

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The New York Times bestselling series starring everyone's favorite French bulldog, Billy the Kid, is back! Featuring lyrics to an original song by Dolly Parton, this heartwarming story follows Billy as he ruffs it out on the dance floor...and falls for his cute dance teacher.

Billy the Kid has done it all. He's moved to Nashville, formed a band, and rocked from coast to coast. But there's one thing Billy hasn't done...dance on stage. Dancing makes him nervous. And dancing in front of an audience? No way.

That all changes when Billy and his band nab an exciting gig as the opening act for Dolly Parton's Doggy Dance Pawty. Now, Billy is roping his friends into dance lessons. On the first day, he watches dogs whirl and twirl. But one dancer stands out: his dance teacher, Bella, who is as graceful as she is beautiful, with her auburn curls and a voice as sweet as pie.

Soon, Billy is trying to win Bella's attention. But that's difficult when he's stumbling through dance moves and tripping over his paws. Can Billy nail the dance routine and catch Bella's eye, all before the big dance pawty?

Uplifting and lighthearted, this loving picture book about the importance of trying new things and putting your best paw forward is one the whole family will enjoy.

Don’t miss out on the other books in this popular series by country legend Dolly Parton:
Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes It Big
Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas
Dolly Parton was the most honored and revered female singer-songwriter of all time. She 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 was the author of multiple bestselling books, including Songteller; Run, Rose, Run (with James Patterson); Behind the Seams; Good Lookin’ Cookin’; Star of the Show; the Billy the Kid series; and Coat of Many Colors, based on her hit song. In her lifetime, Parton donated over 300 million books to children around the world with her Imagination Library. View titles by Dolly Parton
© Evy Mages
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. View titles by Erica S. Perl

Classroom Activities for Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Dances His Heart Out

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

Photos

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About

The New York Times bestselling series starring everyone's favorite French bulldog, Billy the Kid, is back! Featuring lyrics to an original song by Dolly Parton, this heartwarming story follows Billy as he ruffs it out on the dance floor...and falls for his cute dance teacher.

Billy the Kid has done it all. He's moved to Nashville, formed a band, and rocked from coast to coast. But there's one thing Billy hasn't done...dance on stage. Dancing makes him nervous. And dancing in front of an audience? No way.

That all changes when Billy and his band nab an exciting gig as the opening act for Dolly Parton's Doggy Dance Pawty. Now, Billy is roping his friends into dance lessons. On the first day, he watches dogs whirl and twirl. But one dancer stands out: his dance teacher, Bella, who is as graceful as she is beautiful, with her auburn curls and a voice as sweet as pie.

Soon, Billy is trying to win Bella's attention. But that's difficult when he's stumbling through dance moves and tripping over his paws. Can Billy nail the dance routine and catch Bella's eye, all before the big dance pawty?

Uplifting and lighthearted, this loving picture book about the importance of trying new things and putting your best paw forward is one the whole family will enjoy.

Don’t miss out on the other books in this popular series by country legend Dolly Parton:
Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes It Big
Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Comes Home for Christmas

Author

Dolly Parton was the most honored and revered female singer-songwriter of all time. She 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 was the author of multiple bestselling books, including Songteller; Run, Rose, Run (with James Patterson); Behind the Seams; Good Lookin’ Cookin’; Star of the Show; the Billy the Kid series; and Coat of Many Colors, based on her hit song. In her lifetime, Parton donated over 300 million books to children around the world with her Imagination Library. View titles by Dolly Parton
© Evy Mages
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. View titles by Erica S. Perl

Additional Materials

Classroom Activities for Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Dances His Heart Out

Classroom activities supplement discussion and traditional lessons with group projects and creative tasks. Can be used in pre-existing units and lessons, or as stand-alone.

(Please note: the guide displayed here is the most recently uploaded version; while unlikely, any page citation discrepancies between the guide and book is likely due to pagination differences between a book’s different formats.)

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