Book Review: Broadway Barks by Bernadette Peters

“I used to be called Douglas. I used to live in a tall apartment building. But now I live in the park. No one here knows my name.  I am waiting to be found…”

In New York City, in Central Park, lives a sweet, scruffy, lonely little dog named Douglas. He lost his family and he desperately wants to find a new one. Like any dog, he is longing for belly rubs, good food, and someone to love him unconditionally.

Douglas wanders Central Park day after day looking for something, for someone. One day he hears humming… he looks up and finds a beautiful woman with red hair sitting at a park bench reading and humming. She looks kind, and as she gets up to leave, Douglas follows her. He ends up following her all the way to Shubert Alley where he discovers a special event is taking place. The event is Broadway Barks! And best of all, it’s pet adoption day! This is just what Douglas was looking for. At Broadway Barks, Douglas gives his best performance. He is soon discovered by a darling little girl who takes him home, gives him dinner, a bath, belly rubs, and loves him unconditionally–just as he wished! She changes his name to Kramer and sings him to sleep on his first night, in his new home.

It is a happy ending for Douglas. He likes his new name Kramer, and he loves his new family!

This darling children’s story Broadway Barks is written by the famous broadway actress Bernadette Peters and illustrated by Liz Murphy. It is a fictional story inspired by her own dog who is name is Kramer. And, you guessed it, the pretty red-haired lady humming in Central Park is Bernadette Peters.

I first discovered this book when I went to see Bernadette Peters in a live concert at the Craterian Theater in Medford, Oregon. At the end of her concert, she sang a beautiful lullaby from her children’s book that she dedicated to her two dogs Kramer and Stella–and to all “little dogs and cats everywhere.” It was such a beautiful song! Of course, I cried, and then I walked into the lobby and purchased an autographed copy of this darling story.

I love this book! It’s original, heart-warming, funny, and the song is beautiful! In fact, the book comes with a recording of Bernadette Peters reading the story and singing Kramer’s song. Being a singer myself, I love this addition to the book–and I now sing this song to my little babies Dasher and Grizzabella.

The title Broadway Barks is based off the organization Broadway Barks co-founded in 1998 by Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore. Broadway Barks is a wonderful organization that promotes the adoption and foster care of animals. Broadway Barks has assisted in finding thousands of pets homes with the help of volunteers and celebrities. It’s a wonderful organization, and I encourage readers to visit their site broadwaybarks.com for further information and future events!

Your children will love this book about Kramer and they will love this darling song sung by the one and only Bernadette Peters…

And so will your little pets!

Here is Bernadette Peters singing “Kramer’s Song.” I will give you the same advice she gave us at the end of her concert…”Give your furry little babies a kiss tonight!”

Here is the youtube link to Kramer’s Song:

Broadway Barks by Bernadette Peters, pictures by Liz Murphy