PETALING JAYA, March 31 — Country music icon Dolly Parton will provide some much-needed solace by reading bedtime stories in her new YouTube series Goodnight with Dolly.

Set to premiere on April 2, the series will kick off with Parton reading The Little Engine That Could, a classic American fairytale that teaches children about the value of optimism and perseverance.

The 10-week series will also feature Parton reading other titles from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a book-gifting programme that mails over a million free books every month to children around the world. Tennessee tabloid Nashville Scene quoted Parton saying she hopes the series will cultivate a love for reading in children, especially during a time where many families are trapped at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"I hope this gift will further inspire a love of books and shared storytime during this important time.

"As I always say: We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails — and we’re going to do just that, together,” said the 9 to 5 singer.

Tune into Goodnight with Dolly every Thursday at 7pm EDT (7am on Friday in Malaysia) to  Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library’s YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.