#854: Tish Rabe — 200+ Children's Books, Getting Picked for Dr. Seuss, Lessons from Early Sesame Street, How to Write 300+ Songs, and More

Tish Rabe recounts her journey from aspiring opera singer to children's book author. Initially planning a career in opera, she obtained a music degree but found herself working at Sesame Street after moving to New York. Her high school music teacher helped her get a job as a music production assistant. Rabe's role involved hiring jingle singers and she sang constantly, eventually leading to opportunities to sing with the Muppets on the show, albums, and specials. Her "big break" was singing with Oscar the Grouch on the song "I Love Trash."

Tish Rabe describes Sesame Street as an incredibly creative environment where the team, including Jim Henson, constantly invented new ideas. Despite initial concerns about the show's success due to its unconventional characters and multiracial cast, Joan Ganz Cooney allowed the team creative freedom. Rabe emphasizes that her time at Sesame Street shaped her current career. When Sesame Street needed books, Rabe pitched a story based on a childhood memory of breaking her great-grandmother's teapot. This pitch led to her first book, "The Broken Teapot," which taught the message that friendship is more important than material possessions.

Sesame Street was one of the first TV shows grounded in educational research, with specific topics and learning objectives for each season. Writers developed content spontaneously, but the show's writers wrote the endings first. Jim Henson was a hard worker, but very nice to the staff. Sesame Street pioneered double-level humor, appealing to both children and adults. This strategy encouraged parents to watch with their children, enhancing the educational impact, as many early children's shows failed to engage parents.

Tish Rabe reflects on how her music training aided her work at Sesame Street. She would count off the puppeteers to help them sing in time with pre-recorded songs. She also recalls singing with jingle singers in New York in the 70s. Carol Spinney, who played Big Bird and Oscar, had trouble singing "I Hate Christmas" with a full orchestra, so he took Oscar out of the case and sang it perfectly.

Tish Rabe discusses her transition from Sesame Street to a full-time writing career. After writing "Bert and the Broken Teapot," she continued writing for various publishers. She produced "Big Bird in China" and became senior producer for "321 Contact." Eventually, she became the director of video at Random House, where she also wrote books. She also began writing songs for "321 Contact," including one about the gestation period of different animals, titled "I'm Waiting for My Baby."

Tish Rabe describes her songwriting process, which involves identifying the science or educational message, creating a verse, and including a B section to make the song dynamic. She gives the example of a song about a cord of wood. She also shares the story of how Joe Raposo wrote "Being Green" for Kermit the Frog, breaking the convention of end rhyme in children's songs.

Tish Rabe recounts submitting a rhyming book to Random House, only to be rejected because they were the "rhyming home of Dr. Seuss." However, she was then offered the opportunity to write a new series for Dr. Seuss, as he had passed away before finishing the first book. She was given research on mammals and birds and tasked with creating two books in four months, leading to "As a Camel, a Mammal" and "Find Feathered Friends."

Tish Rabe discusses Dr. Seuss's exclusivity with Random House and his role in the Beginner Book Series. She notes that Dr. Seuss was an author-illustrator whose work required no edits. She shares a story about being contacted by Dr. Seuss's widow, Audrey Geisel, to write "Oh Baby, The Places You'll Go," a book referencing all 41 of Ted Geisel's books to be read in utero.

Tish Rabe discusses the importance of rhyme as a mnemonic device. She credits her high school English teacher with helping her develop her rhyming skills through poetry and playwriting exercises.

Tish Rabe shares that she initially used a computer program called "A Million Gazillion Rhymes" to help her find rhymes, but now she knows them instinctively. She recounts a story about having to change a mnemonic in her solar system book after Pluto was demoted. She also discusses her family background, noting that her parents were supportive of her pursuing music and writing.

Tish Rabe explains why she started her own company at 70, citing her husband's fishing hobby and her desire to create books with messages that weren't being addressed by other publishers. She wanted to create a book with dialogic reading, but couldn't get anyone to let her write a book for them. She emphasizes her mission to provide free books to children who don't have them.

Tish Rabe discusses her "lifetime mission" of getting free books to kids who don't have any. She feels it's amazing that in 2026, she's still doing what she can to make sure kids get books. She is the child of a World War II hero, and wanted to write a book for military kids and military families in honor of her father.

Tish Rabe discusses other projects on her website, including "Days Can Be Sunny for Bunnies and Money," a book about financial literacy. She also mentions a new book coming out about Central Park in New York. She recounts a story about joining the Mystic Chamber of Commerce and being asked to write a children's book about the town, which led to a hallucination of seagulls in a coffee shop.

Tish Rabe explains that the Central Park book came about because her executive editor, Jennifer Perry, is a trained greeter at Central Park and saw a need for a children's book about the park. She is working on a campaign to fund free copies of the Central Park book to kids in underserved neighborhoods in New York City. She also emphasizes the importance of choosing the right illustrator for a book.

Tish Rabe recounts her experience working on "Big Bird in China" in 1982, noting that they were the first film crew allowed into China. The production faced numerous challenges, including constant rain and a lack of coffee. Despite the difficulties, the special won an Emmy for Best Special.