Celebrity Parents Dolly Parton to Release Children's Book About Her God-Dog Billy the Kid: 'He's a Big Star' Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big is the singer's third children's book, following Coat of Many Colors and I Am a Rainbow By Georgia Slater Georgia Slater Georgia Slater is an associate editor on the Parents team at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2018. Her work has previously appeared in USA Today and Washington Life Magazine. People Editorial Guidelines Published on December 8, 2022 10:00AM EST Photo: Penguin Young Readers Dolly Parton can't wait to introduce her god-dog Billy the Kid to young readers. The music icon, 76, will release her third children's book, Dolly Parton's Billy the Kid Makes it Big, on April 25, 2023, PEOPLE can exclusively announce. The kids' book, which features illustrations by MacKenzie Haley, follows Billy the Kid, a dog who loves barking to the beat of country music and wants to make it big as a country music star in Nashville. When Billy the Kid runs into bullies at the Battle of the Bow-wows, he must call on his favorite songs and help from new friends to regain his self-confidence and be the star he always knew he could be. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Penguin Young Readers Mariah Carey Takes Inspiration from Childhood for New Children's Book: 'Music Rescues Her' The picture book will be published by Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers, and is aimed at readers ages 4 to 7. "I am so proud to bring this book and the message it conveys to life," Parton tells PEOPLE in a statement. "Years back I wrote a song 'Makin' Fun Ain't Funny' for my children's album I Believe In You. I wanted kids to understand how harmful bullying can be to someone." Penguin Young Readers "When I launched the Doggy Parton line of pet products earlier this year, my god-dog Billy got to be the star of the show. Since he's a big star now, I knew a story with him at the center could help drive home important messages in a unique way," she adds. "I hope this is the first of many books with Billy." Parton's new release follows her two other children's books, Coat of Many Colors in 1994 and I Am a Rainbow in 2009.