PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — Looking for more ways to entertain your kids as they stay home during the coronavirus pandemic? Dolly Parton has you covered.
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According to the iconic country singer’s literacy advocacy organization, the Imagination Library, Parton will read bedtime stories to children in a new weekly video series, “Goodnight With Dolly,” which launches at 7 p.m. EDT Thursday.
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“This is something I have been wanting to do for quite a while, but the timing never felt quite right,” Parton said of the 10-week series. “I think it is pretty clear that now is the time to share a story and to share some love. It is an honor for me to share the incredible talent of these authors and illustrators. They make us smile, they make us laugh and they make us think.”
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The series will feature children’s stories such as “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper, “Llama Llama Red Pajama” by Anna Dewdney, “I Am a Rainbow” by Parton and “Last Stop on Market Street” by Matt de la Peña, among others.
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The announcement came after the release of a documentary about Parton’s Imagination Library, “The Library That Dolly Built,” was moved back from Thursday to Sept. 21, according to the website.
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”Although it was the right thing to do, postponing the screening of our documentary was a disappointment," Parton said in a statement. “So many of our Imagination Library affiliates had organized events around the nationwide screenings; however, things do have a way of working out, so the documentary will still have its day.”
Interested in watching the series? Head to the Imagination Library’s YouTube page Thursday evening to watch the “Goodnight With Dolly” premiere.