Little People, Big Dreams: Dolly Parton; Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, illustrated by Daria Solak

One of twelve children, Dolly din’t have much but she did have something that money couldn’t buy…a wonderful voice. Singing and performing from an early age, Dolly was a natural. Dolly’s early career would see her perform on local radio stations and TV shows before a move to Nashville. And that’s when her career would really take off…

Dolly Parton…singer, song-writer, business-woman and with a personality that was as bright and sparkly as her outfits. This bubbly girl from Tennessee has certainly had quite the career and has made her mark on the music industry. Famed for her country music, Dolly successfully created pop records too and won many awards. Forever grateful for her success, Dolly formed a library that provided books to less fortunate children all over the world and has set up many businesses including a theme park!

What I really like about Dolly’s story is that she never forgot her roots and was always keen to give back to the community, particularly children, that supported her. She also stayed true to her musical passions, going solo when she thought the time was right and moving musical genres as she saw fit. A strong, independent and decisive women she most definitely was and aspiring musicians and performers could learn a lot from Dolly’s attitude and approach to her career.

Delightfully illustrated with bright and bold artwork and with a story told in short and simple sentences, this is a great rags to riches story about the “dirt-poor” girl from the country. At the back of the the book there is a short overview of her life which includes key facts and dates and a historical timeline featuring photographs.

Recommended for 5+.