Just about a year ago I was at an MWGA meeting and I met a quiet but friendly book reviewer. End of Mae had just been published and I was out networking and hawking my wares. The reviewer, named Tarah, took pity and agreed to do a book review for me.
We maintained a friendship after the review but started really getting to know each other when my daughter gave me an iPad. Suddenly Tarah was my virtual friend, riding around in my backpack and we had conversation off and on all day wherever there was internet.
I didn’t know that much about her, but I thought she was funny and she had a different outlook on life that I appreciated. What I didn’t know was that Tarah had secrets… amazing secrets that I only just found out about today. Exhibit A… the Skype transcript:
[11:58:01 AM] Angela Yuriko Smith: Authors charge for that? my signatures will always be free as long as I can afford ink pens! Hahahahaha
[11:58:10 AM] Tarah S: im the same way when i was on sesame street i signed some autographs and i was like omg they want my autograph HOW COOL
[11:58:19 AM] Angela Yuriko Smith: Anyways, I’ll stop complainting about cash
[11:58:33 AM] Angela Yuriko Smith: You were on sesame street?
[11:58:41 AM] Tarah S: i still get asked to and part of me is like why im not famous, and then im like aww ya that
[11:58:47 AM] Tarah S: yea i thought i told you
[11:58:49 AM] Tarah S: when i was a kid
[11:58:56 AM] Angela Yuriko Smith: Omg…. No you didnt
[11:59:04 AM] Tarah S: oops
[11:59:05 AM] Angela Yuriko Smith: That is awesome!
[11:59:10 AM] Tarah S: thanks
[11:59:15 AM] Tarah S: did it for 7 years
[11:59:21 AM] Angela Yuriko Smith: I know a star :D
This is the same Tarah on Sesame Street that did the adorable wheelchair ballet, the same Tarah who charmed us all with her common sense to use a telephone when Big Bird couldn’t figure out how to reach her parents. This is Tarah who has acted alongside some of the biggest names on televison including Elmo, Cookie Monster and even Oscar the Grouch. This is that Tarah Schaeffer, the moppet amongst the muppets.
I am not blown away that my friend did all these things. To know her is to love her and I can completely see why she would have been picked for one of the most successful childrens’ shows ever made. What amazed me is how such an astonishing fact could have gone unmentioned for so long. That also sums up Tarah… the star that shines brightest is unaware of how brightly it glows.
Please go by her blog, Country Book Bumpkin and leave her a comment. She added a page called The Sesame Me where she shares clips and a little bit of her story. She is always open to authors looking for a review or some inexpensive ad space on her blog. A friendlier reviewer you will not find.
Here’s a clip of Tarah singing her own version of Wheels Go Round:
cute!