If you have a small child in your life, you've likely heard of Ms. Rachel.
With her pink headband and high-pitched, singsong voice, Ms. Rachel, whose real name is Rachel Accurso, has become one of the most recognizable figures in children's entertainment. Her gentle, repetitive and interactive songs and lessons have drawn in millions of toddlers and their families around the world.
Since launching the YouTube channel "Songs for Littles" in 2019, Ms. Rachel and her husband, Aron Accurso, have racked up over 17.2 billion views.
"We never imagined that it would turn into what it has today when we were making videos [in my parent's basement]," Aron, who is a Broadway composer and songwriter, told NPR's Leila Fadel. "In the early days, we just stacked books up because we didn't have a tripod and we pulled up our pop-up green screen."
The couple launched the channel after struggling to find proper resources for their son, who had a speech delay. What started as videos made at home has since grown into a children's entertainment and education business worth millions.
Ms. Rachel is nearly everywhere: in books, on Netflix, in toy stores — and soon on an album. Her debut record, I'm So Happy, is set for release Sept. 25. The 23-song compilation of original music and children's favorites and traditional nursery rhymes is meant to be a reimagining of what the couple has accomplished on YouTube.
"We think kids deserve rich, thought-out music," Ms. Rachel told NPR. "We love putting real instruments in and maybe a kid at home is like, 'Wow, the cello, maybe I could do that!'"
As her audience has grown, so has the public role Ms. Rachel has to take on. She has increasingly used her platform to advocate for children affected by war and humanitarian crises, including in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. She said she sees that advocacy as part of the responsibility that comes with reaching millions of children and families.
"I think every child should be in a warm, safe home with the food they need. And I think as grown ups, it's awful and selfish to not speak about that should be the norm," she said.
Speaking plainly about children in war has pulled Ms. Rachel into a much harsher public conversation. In 2025, she was accused of antisemitism and the group StopAntisemitism called for the Justice Department to investigate her over what it characterized as pro-Hamas propaganda. She has denied the accusations, which were ultimately found to be baseless.
Still, even as her advocacy has brought great scrutiny, and raised security concerns for her family and growing business, Ms. Rachel said she knows what's in her heart.
"Every day I want to say, 'Let's take care of kids'," she said.
Listen to the interview by clicking the blue play button above. The digital version was written by Ashley Westerman and edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. The radio version was produced by Ava Pukatch.
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