4-Year-Old Goes Viral for Carrying Photo of Dolly Parton Everywhere She Goes — and Calling the Star Her 'Best Friend' (Exclusive)
A 4-year-old named Hallie has gained attention on TikTok for her love of Dolly Parton
The little girl loves the country icon so much that she usually carries a photo of her wherever she goes
Her mom Darian Day tells PEOPLE that the whole family loves Parton thanks to receiving books through her Imagination Library and having family dance parties to her hits
A little girl with a big personality is celebrating her love of Dolly Parton.
Darian Day, on TikTok @ddayelight, shared a glimpse at what life is like with her 4-year-old. The mom of four tells PEOPLE that while each of her young kids is unique, "Hallie came along and our life became a party!"
The Indiana preschooler recently went viral after Day shared with followers that Hallie carries around a photo of Dolly Parton in her pocket every day. When she finally reached a day where her outfit didn't have any pockets, Mom had to get creative.
"A couple of months ago, Hallie was having an 'emotional day,' as she calls it, and she was crying because she wanted the real, actual Dolly Parton to be able to come to the store with us," Day tells PEOPLE.
"I had the idea to cut out a picture from the sleeve of one of our books so Dolly could go with us. Since then, it's turned into me printing out multiple little pictures of Dolly for her to carry in her pocket or in her purse. It's not rare to look around our house and see a little Dolly in every room now."
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Related: Dolly Parton Says She Had 'So Much Fun' Teaming Up with The Wiggles for Uplifting New Kids Tune 'Friends!'
The love of Dolly is strong not just in Hallie, but the whole family.
"We are definitely Dolly fans! The charitable work she does and the love she has for children are inspiring and impactful, especially with the Imagination Library. When my oldest was a baby, we signed him up for the Imagination Library and started getting the monthly books. When they'd come in the mail, we'd say, 'Look, we have another book from Dolly!' " she recalls.
"So my older kids just assumed Dolly was also like a family friend that sent us books," she adds with a laugh. "It's so funny to think that they thought we were casually friends with a country music superstar legend! I never corrected them either. Oops!"
Like her siblings, for Hallie it started with getting excited about books. Then, it moved to the music.
"She loves 'Coat of Many Colors.' One of the books from the Imagination Library is an illustrated copy of the lyrics of that song and that's her favorite," Day says, adding, "It just blossomed from there. Now she tells everyone Dolly is her best friend."
TikTokers aren't the only ones who love Hallie's dedication to Dolly.
"The people that know Hallie have come to expect quirky and silly things like that, and it's always a joy to be surprised by her cuteness," her mom shares.
"It's so sweet that Hallie is bringing so much joy to other people, just like she does to our family. There's such a massive public love for Dolly Parton and she has a way of bringing people together. We go through and read the comments, and it warms our hearts to know that Hallie and Dolly brought a smile to a stranger's face."
All the recognition for Hallie makes the proud mom even prouder.
"My older children are passionate about art, soccer, competitive dance … and those are things I love watching them do. But there's something uniquely special about watching Hallie find so much joy in Dolly Parton," she says.
While Day's family hasn't ever gotten the chance to interact with the country icon herself, they hope to one day be able to let her know "the impact that she's had on us all."
"From snuggling up together to read one of her books or having dance parties in our kitchen to her music, she brings us together in a way only she could. She's part of our family," Day says.
"She inspires Hallie to be loud, bubbly, and completely herself. In this world, girls are taught to be quiet and shrink themselves, but Dolly doesn't do that. She is larger than life, and so is Hallie," Day adds. "I couldn't ask for a better role model for my daughter."
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