Children's Book Review - The White Harlequin by Daphne Tzamali-Yakinthou

 

At midnight every night, a small door in the grandfather's clock opens, and magical creatures reveal themselves. They put on a show for one another. Tonight the noise awakens Sugarcandy, the white harlequin. Sugarcandy's house is filled with amazing things; he has a rainbow pudding cooking, his seats are made of Turkish delight, and the dining table is a giant red mushroom. Usually, the clock would strike midnight, and the magic would begin and continue until dawn.

Tonight Sugarcandy's best friend, Spot the donkeytaur, calls to tell Sugarcandy that the storm maidens and wind midwives have arrived. They are here to weave deep magic, which has never happened in the land of charms and reflections. The friends are excited to witness a spectacle they have never seen before. Suddenly everyone is horrified to see that a cyclone is draining all the light from the stars, and the world becomes the darkest it has ever been. What are the peculiar snowmen guarding? Who or what is the night sybil, and why do the two friends go to see it? What is the lullaby of strange things? Read The White Harlequin by Daphne Tzamali-Yakin to get the answers to these questions.

I found it confusing how Sugarcandy, the white harlequin, was referred to by several different names, either Sugarcandy, harlequin, or white harlequin. I feel Daphne Tzamali-Yakin should have used a name consistently throughout the book, but this was my only criticism of The White Harlequin.

I loved page four which had a barrage of introductions to all the fantastic magical creatures entering the room and descriptions of their unique attributes. Just as all the madness and mayhem began to confuse my brain Daphne Tzamali-Yakin writes, 'But let's not get ahead of ourselves! Everything will be revealed in its own good time.' This phrase was perfectly crafted and calmed everything down, ready for the next chapter. I also really enjoyed the unique colorful pictures in The White Harlequin, which reminded me of stained glass windows.

I want to rate The White Harlequin by Daphne Tzamali-Yakin 5 out of 5 stars. It conjures up a kaleidoscope of magic, color, and excitement. Adults and children would equally enjoy this beautiful fantasy story. Older children would enjoy reading it to themselves, and parents would enjoy reading it to younger children. All would love the wonderfully colorful illustrations. The story is beautifully written and kept me turning the pages to find out what happened next. There were a few spelling and grammar errors, but they did not spoil the flow of the story enough to reduce the score.

I want to thank Daphne Tzamali-Yakinthou for a free copy of The White Harlequin in exchange for my honest and impartial review. You can also see my reviews here http://onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tara-d-morgan.html