- Home
- For Classrooms
- Free Book for Teachers
For teachers and librarians
A free copy of Rally Takes the Train for your classroom
Tell us where to send it and we'll mail your class a copy of the hand-painted picture book about Rally, a real corgi, on his first train ride to visit his grand-paw-rents. Shipping on us, with coloring pages, an activity pack, and a note home for every student. Pre-K through 2nd grade, United States, one per classroom.
How it works
- Tell us where to send itSchool name, your name, and the school's mailing address. That's the whole form.
- We mail you the bookA paperback copy of Rally Takes the Train, shipping on us, with a stack of printable notes home.
- Read it, send the note homeKids go home talking about the corgi, the tunnel, and the corgi glitter. Families who want their own copy know where to find it.
What's in the teacher kit
The book, plus everything to go with it
- One paperback copy of Rally Takes the Train, 25 hand-painted pages, mailed to your school.
- Four coloring pages traced from the book's watercolors, sent by email the moment you submit.
- An eight-page activity pack: maze, train word search, fill-in train ticket, tracing, counting, and a write-the-next-page sheet.
- A note home for every student, two per sheet, with a drawing box and a QR code so parents can find the book.
- The classroom guide: discussion prompts and a transportation-unit plan on our classrooms page.
Who it's for
Teachers, school and public librarians, daycare and preschool providers, Head Start, and homeschool co-ops. We ship to school and library addresses only, while supplies last.
We're a small, independent book: one author, one illustrator, one real corgi. We can't advertise like a big publisher, so we do the thing that works better anyway: put the book in front of a class and let the kids do the talking. If a few families go buy their own copy afterward, that pays for the next round of free classroom books.
What happens in the book
Rally wakes up early because a big journey is ahead: he's riding the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Orange County with Mom and Dad to visit his grand-paw-rents. He spots a suitcase, figures out the family is going somewhere, and packs his favorite things: a turtle toy, a green bone, a yellow ball. At a Spanish-style station with palm trees and a red train car, his short legs can't manage the big stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. On board, kids reach down to pet him ("Oh, look, a corgi!"), he leaves a trail of furry corgi glitter down the aisle, watches the ocean and a white bird from an arched window, shares a pretzel with Mom, and makes friends with Mr. Conductor. Then the tunnel: dark, scary, nothing in sight, until a bright light and happy cheers at the other end. At the last stop, Grandmommy and Papa are waving on the platform, and Rally realizes the best day is still ahead.
Why teachers like reading it aloud
- Five minutes, in rhyme. It fits circle time and ends before anyone wanders off. Kids start finishing the rhymes by the third read.
- A real dog, painted by hand. Rally is an actual Pembroke corgi; the watercolors are real paint on paper, which is its own lesson about how pictures get made.
- Transportation and community helpers. A station, a ticket, a window seat, a conductor in a blue uniform. It slots into the units you already teach.
- Sequencing that kids can retell. Pack, station, stairs, aisle, window, conductor, tunnel, grandparents. The activity pack's maze and ticket page follow the same order.
- The tunnel. Rally is scared in the dark and then sees the light and hears the cheers. It's a two-page lesson in being brave through something that ends.
- Grandparents at the end of the line. A gentle way into talking about family who live far away, or who have passed. Our post on that conversation is written for parents and works for teachers too.
Questions teachers ask
Who can request a free classroom copy?
Teachers, librarians, and daycare or preschool providers in the United States who work with kids ages 3 to 8: Pre-K through 2nd grade is the sweet spot. Public, private, charter, Head Start, homeschool co-ops, and public libraries all count.
Is it really free? What's the catch?
Really free, shipping included. The only thing we ask is that you read it aloud to your class and send the note home with each kid. If the kids love Rally, some families will buy their own copy, and that's how we keep giving books away.
How many copies can I get?
One per classroom or library branch while supplies last. If your school wants a set for several classrooms, email kelseylcecil@gmail.com and we'll work something out.
How long does it take to arrive?
Books go out in batches, usually within two to three weeks of your request, by USPS Media Mail to the school address you give us. The coloring pages and the note home arrive by email right away so you can start the day the book shows up.
Can you ship to my home instead of the school?
We ship to school and library addresses only. It keeps the program honest and makes sure the book ends up in a classroom.
Do you ship outside the United States?
Not yet. The form is United States only, including Alaska, Hawaii, and APO or FPO addresses. Teachers elsewhere can still use the free printables.
What ages is the book for?
Ages 0 to 8. As a read-aloud it's about five minutes, in rhyme, which holds a Pre-K circle. Kindergarten and first grade can read parts of it themselves, and the tunnel pages are a favorite to act out. There's a classroom guide with discussion prompts and activities.
Can I get more copies of the note home?
Print as many as you need; it's a PDF with two notes per sheet. The coloring pages and the activity pack can be printed for the whole class too.
- Painted by handEvery page is real watercolor on paper by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in the book was made with AI.
- Five-minute read-aloudShort rhyming verses that hold a toddler's attention and don't wear out the grown-up reading it.
- A real corgiRally is the family's actual corgi, which is why the fur on page 9 is accurate.
Not a teacher? Get the book
Rally Takes the Train, hand-painted, 25 pages, $13.99 on Amazon.