Dolly Parton reads bedtime stories to your kids during the coronavirus pandemic

'Goodnight with Dolly' premiered on the Imagination Library's YouTube channel and featured 'The Little Engine That Could'

Whether you need a break from entertaining your kids at night or maybe you just need to be reminded that everything is going to be a-okay, Dolly Parton has got you covered.

In her new video series, "Goodnight with Dolly," the country singer reads bedtime stories to anyone in need of a little bit of comfort during the coronavirus pandemic. The YouTube series premiered 7 p.m. Thursday and runs for total of 10 weeks. New episodes will be released at the same time each week.

In the first episode, Parton read Watty Piper's classic "The Little Engine That Could." Other books she will read include "Llama Llama Red Pajamas" by Anna Dewdney and "Pass It On" by Sophy Henn.

All the books featured in the series are part of the Imagination Library, a program that sends free books to children 5 years old and younger. These books were "carefully chosen for the appropriate content at this moment in time," the organization said on its YouTube channel. The nonprofit has donated more than 100 million books to kids across the country since 1995. 

"This is something I have been wanting to do for quite a while, but the timing never felt quite right," Parton said. "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."

Watch Thursday night's episode with Parton reading "The Little Engine That Could" below and subscribe to the Imagination Library's YouTube channel so you don't miss future episodes:


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