Rally Takes the Train A hand-painted corgi train picture book for ages 0 to 8
Rally the corgi rides the train up the coast to his grand-paw-rents, and finds his courage in a dark tunnel. A 5-minute rhyming read-aloud, painted in real watercolor, written in memory of my mom. Our story
“This is one book my daughter requests to reread multiple times in one sitting… the perfect read-aloud for the dog-loving child.”
4.9 from 27 Amazon ratings Paperback $13.99 Ships with Prime
Look inside
Turn a few pages with Rally
Eight pages from the trip, straight from the book: the morning of, the station, the window seat, the tunnel, and the people waiting at the end. Every one of them is real watercolor on paper.
Rally Takes the Train
Eight pages from the book
Turn the page
That's 8 of 25 pages
See who’s waiting at the station
Grandmommy and Papa are at the last stop. Get the full hand-painted book, $13.99 on Amazon.
See the full bookPage 1 of 8
Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.
Who it's for
A corgi train picture book for ages 0 to 8
Rally Takes the Train is a short, rhyming read-aloud about a real corgi riding the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Orange County with Mom and Dad, through a dark tunnel and out along the ocean, to the grand-paw-rents waiting at the station. It started as a baby gift, grew into a bedtime favorite, and tends to find the families who need it most.
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Toddlers in the train phase
One of the few train books for toddlers that is about the ride itself: the big stairs, the window seat on the Pacific Surfliner, the whistle, the tunnel. A first train ride story for kids who ask for “the train one” every night.
Train books for toddlers -
Corgi families
Rally is a real corgi, and this is his book. He packs his turtle, his green bone, and his yellow ball, and leaves a trail of furry corgi glitter down the aisle. The corgi gift that corgi people keep on the shelf.
The corgi children's book -
Kids who love dogs
A dog book for kids where the dog goes somewhere. Rally gets a boost up the stairs from Dad, a pretzel from Mom, and a pat from Mr. Conductor. Ages 0 to 8, rhyming, five minutes.
Dog books for kids -
Baby showers
A baby shower book instead of a card: sign the inside cover and it becomes the keepsake that outlasts the onesies. Hand-painted watercolor on every page, so it is the one that stays on the nursery shelf.
Book gifts for new babies -
Birthdays, ages 1 to 5
The birthday book they will still read at five. One is the pictures, two is the train sounds, three is the tunnel, four and five is retelling the whole trip in order. Not a toy, no batteries, $13.99.
Birthday book gifts by age -
Grandparents, near and far
The whole ride is pointed at the grand-paw-rents waiting on the platform. The gift from grandparents that gets signed, kept, and read on the nights you cannot be there. Send it ahead of the next visit.
Gifts from grandparents -
Families remembering someone
Kelsey is a mom without a mom. She wrote the book her mom, Deb, dreamed up and never got to write. The tunnel goes dark, the light comes, and the people you love are waiting at the station. No sad pages, just a gentle way in.
Why Kelsey wrote it -
Teachers and classrooms
A five-minute rhyming read-aloud that fits a transportation unit, a community-helpers week, or a family theme. US teachers can request one free copy for the classroom, with coloring pages and a note home.
Get a free classroom copy -
Parents who care what's on the shelf
A watercolor children's book, not a cartoon. Every page was painted by hand by illustrator Leslie Dunn, with nothing AI-generated, so it looks as good on the shelf as it does at bedtime.
Meet the illustrator
Want something to do after the story? Free Rally coloring pages and an activity pack, or discussion prompts for circle time.
From readers
What families are saying
4.9 out of 5 from 27 Amazon ratings, 98% five stars. Every public review, word for word.
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Perfect in Every Way
Rally Takes the Train is such a happy and joyful tale! I cannot recommend this book enough. The watercolor images are stunning and the sweet story leaves you feeling full of bliss. It’s perfection!
Kaitlyn H.
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Perfect for dog-lovers!
This sweet book with beautiful illustrations has become my go-to gift for baby showers and kids birthdays!
Elizabeth
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Go Rally!
My niece loves this book, her parents told me she has been talking about corgees and trains for the past two weeks. The book has beautiful artwork and a great story, highly recommend!
B.K.
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We Love This Journey!
Such a sweet and fun book. My little boys love reading about going on the train and following Rally. We even read the book with our dog! Well written and beautiful illustrated!
Team Rombro
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Adorable book and cute story!
My kids loved this book right away. The book is really well written, and the illustrations are great. Most kids love trains and dogs, so this story with Rally is a win win!!
Lory P.
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So good we had to read it twice the first time my little one saw it!
Great quick story for a little one
PCS
The illustrator
Painted in real watercolor by Leslie Dunn
Every spread in Rally Takes the Train started as a pencil sketch and a wet brush. Leslie Dunn of 9+C Designs painted each page by hand, which is why the sky bleeds a little into the cliffs and the red of the train never quite repeats.
No part of this book was generated or touched up with AI. What you see on the page is pigment, paper, and a lot of patience.
- 100%Hand painted
- WatercolorOn paper
- 0AI images
Leslie Dunn, illustrator
4.9 on Amazon
Get the book
Bring Rally home
A hand-painted watercolor picture book about a brave little corgi, his first train ride, and the grand-paw-rents waiting at the end of the line. A five-minute rhyming read-aloud for ages 0 to 8.
- FormatPaperback
- Ages0 to 8
- Pages25
- Size8.5 × 8.5 in
$13.99USD
Buy on Amazon- Every page hand-painted, no AI
- Sign the inside cover for a keepsake gift
- Ships fast from Amazon
Sold and shipped by Amazon. Amazon's return policy applies to every order.