Review of The White Harlequin

[Ilze Herholdt]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The White Harlequin" by Daphne Tzamali- Yakinthou.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Daphne Tzamali-Yakinthou's novel The White Harlequin is a compelling, dark children's novel. Every night, with the onset of darkness, a miraculous and magical awakening happens in the house of Sugarcandy, The White Harlequin. When the grandfather's clock chimes twelve times, a tiny door in the clock opens and little magical creatures like acrobats, magicians, fire-eaters, clowns, and jesters come out like mischievous little elves. Spot, the friendly donkeytaur, shares the news with the group that the wind maidens will be weaving their magic in the diamond prairie near their home. During the magical display attended by Sugarcandy and Spot, an unnatural cyclone disrupts the affair to destroy the forces of deep magic by overpowering the light from the stars.

Harlequin and Spot devise a plan in an attempt to save the stars. They journey across the sea of darkness, encountering phantom ghosts, malevolent dragons, flying violins, benevolent mermaids, and other dreadful creatures. Fortunately, Harlequin can fight back with the fire emitting from his hat, which gives off a powerful burning heat and light. The creatures are afraid of it. They are on a mission to defeat Mabia, a living-dead fairy who possesses the ring necessary to restore the night of Sybil. Will The White Harlequin and his clock friends succeed in this treacherous quest?

I liked that this book's main theme is friendship. Harlequin and donkeytaur are there for each other, regardless of what scenario they face. When Harlequin gets trapped in the dungeon, donkeytaur does everything he can to save his friend. He even tries to keep the poppy flower alive after he ripped it from the soil because he understands how important it is to Sugarcandy. I also liked the consistent, catchy songs that broke up the monotony of the narration. It makes the story all the more special and interesting to read. The colorful and detailed illustrations in each chapter are truly magnificent in their beauty, and the drawings of the creatures are all enchanting. These details will surely catch the attention of young readers. I was impressed by how Daphne seamlessly uses literary devices, such as metaphors, to craft elements of her story to spark the reader's imagination.

There is only one minor thing I disliked about the book. Some sentence construction, such as “replied with sadness the crowned man” and “said with one voice the two guards,” would have sounded better to me if it said, “replied the crowned man with sadness” and “said the two guards with one voice.” Furthermore, I found nothing else to dislike about this book.

I only encountered one error in this book, which indicates that it was professionally edited. I award this book four out of four stars because of the author's superb writing style and format. The vocabulary is impressive, and the characterization is perfect.

I recommend this book to children and teenagers who love fantasy novels filled with adventure. Children who like illustrated books should read The White Harlequin.

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The White Harlequin
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[Hager Salem]

That's a nice review that got me interested in reading this book. I want to see those great illustrations.

[Avishi]

I love this story. Harlequin and donkeytaur's friendship is nice. Children will learn a lot from thier friendship. It's great as it has illustrations. Children will love it.

[Ohna Martin]

This is an intriguing book, it is however not something I would have my 11-year-old read. Donketaurs and magicians and fire-eaters is not something I would suggest for her.