Sharon Lerner

Sharon Lerner with a cardboard cutout of Ernie.

Sharon Lerner, as depicted in The Sesame Street Dictionary.

Sharon Lerner is an author, producer, lyricist, and writer. She served as CTW VP and Creative Director for all Sesame Street toys, books, and records for ten years.

Lerner was one of the first ten people hired at Children's Television Workshop, originally as an educator and researcher, then as senior curriculum specialist, and eventually joining the products group to create Sesame Street products.

Her book Who Will Wake Up Spring? was read by Susan to the kids in Episode 0118, and she was immortalized in The Sesame Street Dictionary under the entry for "unusual," as drawn by Joe Mathieu. She is the author of many Sesame Street books, including Big Bird's Busy Book (1975), Big Bird's Copycat Day (1984), Big Bird Says... (1985) and Follow the Monsters! (1985).

Lerner continued to write children's books for Random House, including a 2009 retelling of Black Beauty and has written political satire songs with Emily Kingsley for a cabaret in New York City.

Lerner was extensively interviewed for the 2021 documentary Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street.

Credits

Books

• Big Bird's Alphabet Book
• Big Bird's Busy Book
• Big Bird's Copycat Day
• Big Bird Says... A Game to Read and Play
• Follow the Monsters!
• The Sesame Street Library
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 1
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 2
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 4
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 5
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 6
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 7
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 8
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 9
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 10
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 11
  • The Sesame Street Library Volume 12
• The Sesame Street Treasury
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 1
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 2
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 3
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 5
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 6
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 8
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 9
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 10
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 11
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 12
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 13
  • The Sesame Street Treasury Volume 14
• Where Do You Work & What Do You Do?

Songs

• Co-lyricist, "(I Can't Get No) Co-Operation"

Non-Henson Credits

• Between the Lions (writer, animation and live action film producer, lyricist)
• Black Beauty retold by Sharon Lerner (illustrated by Susan Jeffers and published by Random House)