Book 1. The Secret of the Shepherd's Staff
42 pages of true stories from Nancy's childhood, a verse on nearly every page. Digital PDF $9.99 · paperback on Amazon.
From pianist & composer Nancy Lamka-Smith · Est. 1979
Every small step becomes a step to joy.
Meet the hand-drawn animated world where a curious girl and her band of friends turn piano, scripture, and friendship into everyday joy.
Established 1979•450+ Sacred Compositions•Taught on 4 Continents•Made for Ages 6–12
The animated world
A place where music has a heartbeat.
Steps To Joy is a sunlit, hand-crafted universe of forests, waterfalls, and giant piano-key pathways — a place children step into and never quite want to leave.
Born in 1979 as a Christ-centered music curriculum, it teaches the same beautiful idea across generations: learn to play the piano, learn scripture, and learn to worship — all from one joyful set of songs.
An animated universe
Sunlit worlds, full of wonder and warmth.
Original characters
A cast of friends kids remember by name.
A real piano journey
From first note to confident player.
Faith & heart
Scripture and character in every song.
Meet the cast
The friends who walk beside you.
Every child needs a few good friends for the journey. Here are the ones waiting in the valley.
A whole valley of friends — each with a song of their own.
The Steps To Joy coloring books
Nancy and her friends, page after page, for children 4 to 10 to color with a grown-up beside them. Every page of each book is on Nancy’s site, ready to flip through.
- 1The Secret of the Shepherd's StaffOut now
2The Mystery of the Shepherd Sound CompanyComing soon- More to come
Book 2. The Mystery of the Shepherd Sound Company
Through the Shepherd's little door: children color the story and learn to read music along the way. Coming soon, at the same price as Book 1.
FREE
Free download
Color a page on us.
Print a page from The Secret of the Shepherd's Staff and meet the valley before you buy the book. Yours free — the download opens the moment you sign up.
Where should we send it?
Pop in your name and email, and the page is yours.
The heart behind it
Meet Nancy Lamka-Smith
Nancy sat down at the piano at two and a half years old. Now in her eighties, she is still playing, still composing, and still sharing her joy with the world.
Steps To Joy is the world she built so the next generation can find the very same joy at the keys.
2½
Age she began
450+
Compositions
25 yrs
Music director
4
Continents taught
“Music isn't just something you learn. It's a step you take — toward joy, toward each other, toward God.”
Come along
Come walk the steps with us.
New characters, stories, and songs are on the way. Start with the coloring book, and grow with the whole curriculum.