Watching the Sun Rise by Allison Bartlette

Rise and Rhyme: New Children’s Book Celebrates Farm Life for Little Readers

Traverse City, Michigan—Morning breaks over the farm, and the animals slowly awaken, each greeting the world in their own special way.

Young readers will experience the beauty of a quiet morning through rhythmic repetition and playful sounds, all while learning farm animal sounds and names. Introducing the ideas of patience, observation, and respect for the natural world around them, it’s the perfect soothing start to the day.  

Inspired by her mother’s old preschool classroom, decorated with cows, Allison Bartlette set out to create a book that could be used in her routine of learning about everyday animals during circle reading time.

“The readers will likely learn more about farm animals but I hope the reader will be able to develop additional vocabulary skills using the wide variety of verbs and adjectives featured throughout the story,” she described. “As a speech and language pathologist, I use books often in my therapy sessions and I select my books based on categories like ‘farm animals’ and “forest animals’ so that I can help teach vocabulary.”

For early readers and lovers of a gentle read-aloud time, Watching the Sun Rise offers a peaceful story that encourages curiosity, empathy, and connection, much like Bartlette’s debut book Walking on a Trail, published in January 2026, which tells the story of Michigan wildlife through a wonder-filled wander in the woods. 

With her background in speech pathology and former preschool-teacher mom, Bartlette took a unique approach to this book. 

“I used my background in speech therapy to develop this entire book including the subject, the rhyming structure, and the engaging tone. This book would be perfect for an early childhood classroom,” she explained. “My mom participated in the editing process with me on this book and it was so rewarding to work with her. She was instrumental in helping me understand what structure the book needed to be successful and fun.”

Perfect for any preschool classroom, or any littles looking to learn about farm animals, this hand-illustrated story, modeled after Bartlette’s own cattle dog, is sure to engage and excite early readers. Early praise for the book is an exciting nod toward its expected belovedness.

Advance Praise

“Watching the Sun Rise is a beautiful follow-up to Walking on a Trail. It is a delightful read aloud for slow mornings. Young readers will love guessing which animal is about to appear and perhaps try their own barnyard sounds. How would you chirp ‘hello’ to a chick?” — Kirsten Leestma, author of Forest Bath 

“All ages will love this walk in the countryside while meeting baby animals along the way! Allison’s gentle and educational poetry paired with Chloe’s warmly toned, intricate illustrations make story time enjoyable for the whole family.” — Briana Rupel, owner of Bri-Cycled, @bri.cycled 

“Sleepy Dog Books is proud to support Watching the Sun Rise, a beautifully crafted children’s book that celebrates curiosity, connection, and the simple wonder of the natural world through gentle rhyme and engaging illustrations. This story inspires early literacy, imagination, and meaningful shared reading experiences between children and the adults who love them.”  — Sleepy Dog Books, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan

The Author

Allison Bartlette is an author and speech-language pathologist who lives in Michigan with her husband and two sons. Reading children’s stories to her clients and her boys—and the repetition and rhyme often found in them—inspired her to write her second book, Watching the Sun Rise. When not writing poetry for future stories, she enjoys hiking, gardening, reading, and drinking coffee. To learn more, follow her on Instagram @authorallisonbartlette.

The Illustrator

Michigan-based Chloe Walimaa is a self-taught illustrator and designer. She draws much of her inspiration from Lake Superior’s rocky, wooded, freshwater coast, as well as from the many landscapes she has encountered in her travels. When she’s not in her studio, she can be found exploring the outdoors or spending time with her animals. Follow Chloe’s creative journey on Instagram: @chloeleacreations.

The Book

Watching the Sun Rise

Allison Bartlette

Illustrated by Chloe Walimaa

30 pages, 8.5” x 8.5”, Color

Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Farm Animals / Readers / Beginner / Nature & the Natural World / General

ISBN: 979-8-950817-03-8, $24.95 (Hardcover)

ISBN: 979-8-950817-04-5, $16.95 (Softcover)

Publication Date: October 15, 2026

Nightlight Stories, an imprint of Mission Point Press

Copies are available for preorder at Bookshop.org, Amazon.com, and other online retailers. On its October 15 publication date, it will be available for purchase wherever books are sold. For information or to arrange for signings and events, contact the author at authorallisonbartlette@gmail.com.