Books in First Steps Series series

"These traditional “echo songs” are built around a leader singing a phrase and a group singing the same phrase back, planting the seeds of musical sensitivity in young children. With the songs in this collection, kids can indulge their imitation tendencies and create joyful, irrepressible music at the same time. These timeless tunes allow kids to learn quickly and start making music and having fun right away."

"From those ever-turning wheels on the bus to the little teapot, short and stout, and even those naughty little monkeys still jumping on the bed, these action songs will engage children’s attention and imagination. In this collection, movement and music are combined in some of the best-loved songs of childhood. The classic songs and rhymes provide a basis for understanding the musical concepts of form and expression. Kids will have fun singing the music and acting out the accompanying motions."

Beautiful and attractive books from the most prominent collector and advocator of the rich heritage and diversity of folk songs The premise of a canon is that a single song can be sung starting at different times creating lovely harmonies. The Book of Canons is an incredible resource—a sumptuously illustrated collection of more than 140 time-tested canons drawn from all over the world, by some of the great composers throughout history. Each canon in this collection is ranked by difficulty and includes a general translation if needed.

Momma, Buy Me a China Doll is the latest, lavishly illustrated children’s songtale based on the great American folk music heritage and collected by John M. Feierabend. This delightful song tells the story of Liza Lou, who dreams of owning a china doll after seeing one in a peddler’s cart. Owning a china doll, however, would be a luxury far out of reach for a poor mountain girl from the Ozarks. One of the endearing charms of this song is how Liza is able to provide countless ideas that could lead to raising money to buy a china doll…but alas, to no avail. Like the other picture books in John M. Feierabend’s First Steps in Music series, Momma, Buy Me a China Doll includes a description of the history of the song, the notation of the song, and a link to download the song in audio form at no cost. This book is part of John M. Feierabend’s continuing effort to preserve our rich heritage of children’s folksongs. GIA Publications, Inc. is pleased to expand its series of picture books based on these timeless songs and stories. READ! LISTEN! SING ALONG!

Had a Little Rooster is the latest lavishly illustrated children’s songtale from GIA Publications, Inc. A cumulative song that has been shared for more than 100 years, each verse of "Had a Little Rooster" introduces a new character and a new sound that must be added to the previous verse. Cumulative songs are tons of fun for kids, challenging singers to use more and more breath and to remember an ever-increasing cast of characters and sounds. The song can be downloaded with a code included in the book.

A beautifully illustrated version of the classic and humorous song, “Jennie Jenkins” A beautiful take on a timeless story, this picture book will become a favorite of today’s children, another wonderful chapter in the continuing legacy of a delightful, classic songtale. In the United States, “Jennie Jenkins” was sung as a way for a boy to ask a girl to dance. The boy would sing the first part and pick a color and the girl would have to make up an answer that rhymed. If the girl failed to quickly respond with an appropriate answer, she would be required to dance with the boy. The fully notated version of this song with all the words is included at the end of the book, along with a detailed history of the song. An MP3 of the song is also available for free download.

Make your first steps in watercolor fun and rewarding!Watercolor's vivid colors and fresh, direct brush strokes make it the most exciting way to paint. "But," you think, "Learning to paint must be hard and frustrating." Not with Cathy Johnson as your teacher! Here, she makes learning to paint in watercolor fun—even easy!With Painting Watercolors, you'll learn to paint by picking up a brush and painting—not by reading about a bunch of confusing theories.Cathy tells you everything you need to begin—including: • Which tools and materials you should buy to get off to a good, affordable start • When, what, even where to paint • Explanations of watercolor terms (such as "washes" and "puddles") • Easy and useful painting tricks—such as glazing and drybrush.Exercises help you loosen up and learn the ins and outs of putting paint on paper. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions show you how to paint water, believable skies, a variety of trees in different seasons and other popular elements. Plus, a dozen demonstrations show you how paintings come together, from initial sketch to final brushstrokes.With Cathy's help, you can start painting right away!

Revisiting a folk music classic, this delightfully illustrated picture book adds an unexpected twist to a timeless song, building to a hilarious conclusion certain to engage children time and again. No one knows where the lyrics of this fanciful rhyme originated, although the melody is certainly based on the classic tune “How Dry I Am.” Sung as an echo song, and accompanied by hand motions, children will laugh out loud at the antics of the Aunt, who in each verse travels to another strange place and brings back some unusual things. A fully notated version of the music with all words and hand motions is included.

Beautiful and attractive books from the most prominent collector and advocator of the rich heritage and diversity of folk songs Dances accompanied by singing have been enjoyed by people of all ages for hundreds of years. These dances have served an important social function as people share the joy of synchronizing with others through their body, spirit, and voice. John M. Feierabend has collected song dances that have their roots in American heritage, as well as a few from other countries. Each dance is organized by type (single circle, double circle, square dances, etc.) and includes complete dancing directions. This beautifully illustrated collection is for anyone looking to reclaim this great folk dance tradition, use great songs to teach musical concepts—or simply have a great time.

Reviving a timeless American folk song, this children’s book relates the hilarious story of a husband and his impossibly lazy wife. Following the couple from their marriage through the wife’s nonsensical antics over the years, the featured tune contains a clever tongue-twister as its chorus, which grows more elaborate and entertaining as the song progresses. The fully notated version is included along with the complete lyrics and a detailed history of this beloved narrative. Showcased with a variety of wonderful illustrations, this handbook highlights a melody that has been cherished since the late 19th century, covered by Burl Ives, Hedy West, Ed McCurdy, Ian Campbell, Pete Seeger, and Chubby Parker. Guidelines for downloading the accompanying complimentary song are also provided.