Media Kit
Rally Takes the Train
Thank you for your interest in the book. Everything you need for a review, feature, gift guide, or story is here: ready-to-use copy, book details, high-resolution images, and our contact for interviews.
At a glance
Book details
- Author
- Kelsey Lizee Cecil
- Illustrator
- Leslie Dunn
- Ages
- 0 to 5
- List price
- $16.99 paperback
- ISBN (IngramSpark)
- 9798182928151
- Format
- Paperback, 8.5 x 8.5 in, 25 pages; ebook
- Published
- Paperback 2022; ebook 2026
- Read-aloud
- Rhyming, about 5 minutes
- Categories
- Juvenile Fiction: Animals / Dogs; Transportation / Railroads & Trains; Social Themes / Death, Grief, Bereavement
- Reviews
- 5-star "Must Read," Reedsy Discovery; 4.9 stars on Amazon
Ready-to-use copy
Copy and paste
Use any of this as written, or edit it to fit your format.
A real corgi, a real train, and a dark tunnel that teaches little ones that the dark always ends and that love is never far away.
Rally the corgi is off on a train ride to visit Grandmommy and Papa. There are new friends, pretzels from Mom, and a very dark tunnel. Told in gentle rhyme with hand-painted watercolors, this five-minute read-aloud helps little ones face scary moments and find the light on the other side.
All aboard with Rally the corgi! In this heartwarming rhyming picture book, Rally takes a real-life train ride from San Diego to Orange County. Rally is a real corgi, and the train is real, too. Along the way, he makes new friends, shares pretzels with Mom, greets Mr. Conductor, and leaves a trail of furry corgi glitter down the aisle.
But when the train enters a dark tunnel, Rally gets scared. Will the darkness last forever? With Mom and Dad by his side, Rally discovers that even the darkest moments give way to light, and the people who love us are waiting on the other side.
Inspired by a story idea from the author's late mother, Deb, this gentle five-minute read-aloud helps little ones navigate big feelings and find comfort in love. Hand-painted watercolor illustrations by Leslie Dunn.
Praise
What reviewers and parents are saying
"A delightful little watercolor adventure following a corgi and his human parents on a train ride."
Kathryn Bettendorf, Reedsy Discovery (Must Read)
"The flow makes it easy to read aloud, making it an excellent choice for story time."
Reedsy Discovery
"The illustrations are a pleasure to drink in."
Reedsy Discovery
"The perfect read-aloud for the dog-loving child... or anyone young at heart!"
Reedsy Discovery
"...has become my go-to gift for baby showers and kids birthdays!"
Amazon customer review
"So good we had to read it twice the first time my little one saw it!"
Amazon customer review
Images
Cover, author, and interior art
Click any image's download button to save the full-resolution JPG. Need a page that isn't shown here, or a photo of Kelsey with the real Rally? Just email us.
Images may be used for reviews, features, gift guides, and coverage of the book. Please credit illustrations as "Illustrations by Leslie Dunn, from Rally Takes the Train." Every page is hand-painted in real watercolor; nothing in the book is AI-generated.
The story behind the book
A mother's dream, made real
For years, Kelsey's mom, Deb, talked about writing a children's book about the family corgi, Rally, and his visits to his "grand-paw-rents." She had the title, the plot, and the heart of it all. Deb passed away in 2021, before she could write it.
Kelsey wrote Rally Takes the Train to make her mom's dream a reality and dedicated it in loving memory to her parents, who were Rally's best friends. The tunnel scene carries the book's quiet message for every family that has faced loss: the dark always ends, and love is never far away.
The trip is real, too. Rally rides the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego's Santa Fe Depot up the coast past San Clemente, and readers who know the route will recognize it along the way.
Kelsey Lizee Cecil is from Southern California, where she lives with her husband, their children, and two corgis, including the real Rally. Rally Takes the Train is her first children's book.
Leslie Dunn of 9+C Designs hand-painted every page of Rally Takes the Train in real watercolor. Nothing in the book is AI-generated; the sunny, calming art is the work of a human hand, brushstroke by brushstroke.
Where to buy
Available in paperback and ebook
Free resources for families
More than a book
Alongside the book, rallytakesthetrain.com offers free tools for families. Feel free to link to any of them in your coverage.
Interviews, review copies, and features
Kelsey is available for interviews, Q&A, and guest posts. Reach out anytime.