Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Dances His Heart Out

PreS-Gr 2–In this sequel, the bulldog protagonist of Billy the Kid Makes It Big faces self-doubt and stage fright when he is invited to dance onstage at a “doggy dance pawty.” He enrolls in a dance class but fears he will never be good enough to perform onstage, or to catch the eye of his “lovely” dance instructor. On the verge of quitting, Billy arrives to class early and sees the star student struggling through a private lesson and learns that “the only way to get better is to practice.” The lesson here is not subtle, but dog lovers, dancers, and loyal fans of Parton’s will be willing to overlook it. Readers will empathize with Billy’s anxiety and will enjoy the playful illustrations of various dogs in tutus and legwarmers. Folksy spellings like “fella” combine with an abundance of dog-themed puns to make the text seem a bit self-conscious, not unlike Billy himself.