Publication Date: November 5, 2022
The rhyming train book and corgi picture book kids ask for every night.
A real dog. A real train. A dark tunnel, and the people he loves waiting on the other side.
Inspired by a real ride on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, with every page painted by hand in real watercolor. A children’s picture book for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and early readers, ages 0 to 8, for boys and girls alike.
All aboard! Rally the corgi is going to see his grand-paw-rents.
He packs his turtle, his green bone, and his yellow ball. Dad boosts him up the big stairs. Kids reach down to pet him. He leaves a trail of furry corgi glitter down the aisle, watches the California coast roll by from San Diego to Orange County, splits a pretzel with Mom, and shakes hands with Mr. Conductor.
Then the train goes into a tunnel. The window goes dark. Rally is scared.
Then the light comes, and the people he loves are waiting on the platform.
Why kids ask for it again
- The rhymes. A five-minute read-aloud toddlers chant along with, and the bedtime story they request the same night.
- The art. Babies stare at the watercolor pages long before they follow the words. Nothing in this book was made by a computer.
- The tunnel page. A gentle kids book about being brave and feeling scared of the dark: the dark part is short, and someone you love is on the other side.
- It grows with them. The colors at 1, the train sounds at 2, retelling the trip at 4, reading it to you at 6, and reading it on their own at 8.
The right book for
- Train lovers. One of the sweetest train books for toddlers and kids: choo choos, a railroad crossing, a friendly conductor, and the thrill of a first train ride. Read it before a family train trip, too.
- Dog lovers. A dog book for kids starring a real Pembroke Welsh corgi, made for corgi families and anyone who loves puppies and dogs.
- Grandparents. A picture book about visiting grandma and grandpa. Send it ahead of the visit so they know who is waiting at the end of the line.
- Big feelings. A comforting story about fear, courage, and love, and a gentle way to talk with little ones about loss and missing someone.
- Story time. Bedtime, daycare, preschool, kindergarten, classroom, and library read-alouds.
A gift that gets kept
- Baby showers and new babies. Sign the inside cover and it outlasts every card.
- Birthdays for kids ages 1 to 8, Christmas stocking stuffers, Easter baskets, and Grandparents Day.
- From grandparents to grandchildren, and for every corgi family.
Free extras
Free coloring pages and a printable activity pack are available on the Rally Takes the Train website.
Why I wrote it
My mom talked for years about writing this book: our corgi, Rally, riding the train to see his grand-paw-rents. She died in 2021 before she could. I have lost my dad too. I am a mom without a mom now, and I wrote the book she described so my kids would know their grandparents the way Rally knows his, as the people waiting at the station. It is dedicated to them.
It is a happy book. That is the point.
Rally Takes the Train, written by Kelsey Lizee Cecil and illustrated by Leslie Dunn. A real corgi, a real train, and a story about the light after the dark.
Join the cute corgi, Rally, in Kelsey Lizee Cecil’s Rally Takes the Train!
Rally is very excited when he sees luggage out at home and knows a trip is coming. Boarding the train with his owners, he goes on a new adventure.
This is a very cute children’s book that I really enjoyed. The illustrations were very well done, and the story was sweet. I also liked that the author included information about trains for children, as well as lesson plans for teachers. This helped me view this book as very well-rounded for children and teachers alike.
Rally Takes the Train is a sweet adventure with beautiful illustrations, perfect for families.
Kelsey wrote Rally Takes the Train to make her late Mom’s dream of writing a book about their family corgi, Rally, a reality. She is from Southern California and lives with her husband, two children, and corgi. This is her first children’s book and it is dedicated in loving memory to her parents who were Rally’s best friends.
