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Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors
Due to the generosity of his friends, Harlequin gets a new patchwork suit for Carnival.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1973
4 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Remy Charlip
47 books36 followersAbraham 'Remy' Charlip (born January 10, 1929) was an American artist, writer, choreographer, theatre director, designer, and teacher.
He studied art at Straubenmuller Textile High School in Manhattan and fine arts at Cooper Union in New York, graduating in 1949.
In the 1960s, Charlip created a unique form of choreography, which he called "air mail dances". He sent a set of drawings to a dance company, and the dancers ordered the positions and created transitions and context.
He performed with John Cage, was a founding member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for which he also designed sets and costumes, directed plays for the Judson Poet's Theater, co-founded the Paper Bag Players, and served as head of the Children's Theater and Literature Department at Sarah Lawrence College.
He won two Village Voice Obie Awards, three New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year citations, and was awarded a six-month residency in Kyoto from the Japan/U.S. Commission on the Arts. He wrote and/or illustrated more than 30 children's books and passed away in San Francisco, California, on August 14, 2012.
He studied art at Straubenmuller Textile High School in Manhattan and fine arts at Cooper Union in New York, graduating in 1949.
In the 1960s, Charlip created a unique form of choreography, which he called "air mail dances". He sent a set of drawings to a dance company, and the dancers ordered the positions and created transitions and context.
He performed with John Cage, was a founding member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for which he also designed sets and costumes, directed plays for the Judson Poet's Theater, co-founded the Paper Bag Players, and served as head of the Children's Theater and Literature Department at Sarah Lawrence College.
He won two Village Voice Obie Awards, three New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year citations, and was awarded a six-month residency in Kyoto from the Japan/U.S. Commission on the Arts. He wrote and/or illustrated more than 30 children's books and passed away in San Francisco, California, on August 14, 2012.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 6, 2024
FOUND AND READ ON OPEN LIBRARY
Taking place in late Mediaeval or early Renaissance Italy during Carnival festivities, Remy Charlip and Burton Supree present with their absolutely delightful 1973 (Reading Rainbow) picture book Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors how the originally Italian Carnival figure of Harlequin obtained (or rather might have obtained) his distinctive and colourful costume. And yes, it is mentioned as a small note at the back of Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors that the original Harlequin came from the Italian city of Bergamo, so that for me, although Charlip and Supree do not mention geographical specifics within their featured storyline, Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors probably would be taking place in Bergamo (and thus not in Venice which I was originally thinking). But no, there is nothing specially being mentioned in Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors about the Commedia del Arte and Harlequin's linkages to it, although in an introductory note at the front of Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors, there is a bit of information provided by the authors on Harlequin as a Carnival character and that his original costume was not the standardised diamond pattern with which we are familiar today, but just bits and pieces of different fabric scraps roughly sewn onto clothing to make a colourful Carnival attire for the poorest of the poor.
And while the textual details presented by Remy Charlip and Burton Supree in Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors are of course fictional (and as such also rather remind me a bit of a pourquoi type of tale, of basically a how Harlequin's costume came to be type of story), in my opinion, Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors is actually and equally an account which reads as something that could actually have occurred in reality, and that yes, I definitely very much textually value and appreciate this with Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors (since most non fiction books on the history, on the background of Carnival, of Mardi Gras, of Fastnacht etc. do indeed tend to point out like already alluded to above that originally costumes for Carnival were not all that intricate and ostentatious but were simple garments sewn and worn by celebrants who were poor, who did not have access to much cash and could thus not consider involved or exaggerated Carnival attire for themselves).
Now with regard to Charlip and Supree's actual text for Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors as fiction, as a story, yes and in my opinion, the authors present a lovely, a truly wonderful and heartwarming little tale not just of Carnival but actually first and foremost of friendship, generosity, ingenuity and imagination, how a poor boy named Harlequin is able to celebrate and have fun at the Carnival festivities clad in a homemade costume of bright fabric patches (and with these patches having been given to Harlequin by his friends, as his mother is poor and does not have the money to buy either a Carnival costume or even the raw material to make a Carnival costume). Textually warm and entertaining, and with Remy Charlip's accompanying artwork providing a visually enchanting accompaniment to and for the presented text and often providing visual Carnival details not mentioned in the text, both my adult self and my inner child have been totally and utterly enchanted with and by Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors (and so much so that I am rating Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors with five very pleasantly surprising stars and to also give warm delighted recommendations).
Taking place in late Mediaeval or early Renaissance Italy during Carnival festivities, Remy Charlip and Burton Supree present with their absolutely delightful 1973 (Reading Rainbow) picture book Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors how the originally Italian Carnival figure of Harlequin obtained (or rather might have obtained) his distinctive and colourful costume. And yes, it is mentioned as a small note at the back of Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors that the original Harlequin came from the Italian city of Bergamo, so that for me, although Charlip and Supree do not mention geographical specifics within their featured storyline, Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors probably would be taking place in Bergamo (and thus not in Venice which I was originally thinking). But no, there is nothing specially being mentioned in Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors about the Commedia del Arte and Harlequin's linkages to it, although in an introductory note at the front of Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors, there is a bit of information provided by the authors on Harlequin as a Carnival character and that his original costume was not the standardised diamond pattern with which we are familiar today, but just bits and pieces of different fabric scraps roughly sewn onto clothing to make a colourful Carnival attire for the poorest of the poor.
And while the textual details presented by Remy Charlip and Burton Supree in Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors are of course fictional (and as such also rather remind me a bit of a pourquoi type of tale, of basically a how Harlequin's costume came to be type of story), in my opinion, Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors is actually and equally an account which reads as something that could actually have occurred in reality, and that yes, I definitely very much textually value and appreciate this with Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors (since most non fiction books on the history, on the background of Carnival, of Mardi Gras, of Fastnacht etc. do indeed tend to point out like already alluded to above that originally costumes for Carnival were not all that intricate and ostentatious but were simple garments sewn and worn by celebrants who were poor, who did not have access to much cash and could thus not consider involved or exaggerated Carnival attire for themselves).
Now with regard to Charlip and Supree's actual text for Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors as fiction, as a story, yes and in my opinion, the authors present a lovely, a truly wonderful and heartwarming little tale not just of Carnival but actually first and foremost of friendship, generosity, ingenuity and imagination, how a poor boy named Harlequin is able to celebrate and have fun at the Carnival festivities clad in a homemade costume of bright fabric patches (and with these patches having been given to Harlequin by his friends, as his mother is poor and does not have the money to buy either a Carnival costume or even the raw material to make a Carnival costume). Textually warm and entertaining, and with Remy Charlip's accompanying artwork providing a visually enchanting accompaniment to and for the presented text and often providing visual Carnival details not mentioned in the text, both my adult self and my inner child have been totally and utterly enchanted with and by Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors (and so much so that I am rating Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colors with five very pleasantly surprising stars and to also give warm delighted recommendations).
August 7, 2009
I had to add this today because I JUST figured out it was the book I have been trying to remember for days. Little bits kept coming to me (much like the scraps of fabric the townsfolk give Harlequin), and oh, I wish I could reread it right now! Kind of a male Cinderella story without fairy magic. Very feel-good, very visceral and lovely illustrations.
March 1, 2021
One of my most loved books when growing up-And I OWN a copy! Found it online in mint condition! I think it was the colours that attracted me to it at first. I took it out of the library as often as they would permit. It was printed when I was 2yrs old.I had to search for years to find it and I found a copy online.Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colours
Remy Charlip
April 13, 2013
What a tragedy that there is no picture of the cover art work, for this is surely one of the most beautifully illustrated books I've ever read. The story is sweet - a story of friends giving unselfishly - a story that will warm your heart.
August 3, 2008
One of my all-time favorite children's books that I remember with great fondness. It is a twist on the classic rags-to-riches, ugly duckling, sort of story but much, much better!
July 9, 2013
I like this one!
January 12, 2015
Lovely story and gentle illustrations.
June 17, 2019
Harlequin had no money to buy new costume so his friends help him to cut some long clothes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2023
I had heard of the story of Harlequin and the Gift of Many Colours before so this wasn't a new telling for me. Instead it comes out as a nice heartwarming story in which the friends of Harlequin pay him back for all the fun he has led them in by helping him when his mother is unable to afford a new costume for Carnival - this almost a mixture of the biblical Joseph and Stone Soup combined together.
The story's illustrations are rather on the lighter side with the oldness of the telling while the night costume of Harlequin probably being the brightest illustration even when the rest of the audience is suppose to be just as bright. To me what really bothers me is the fact that as old as the story is meant to be it has more of a modern flair when you compare the looks of the children in the story as well as some of the events the children are excited for.
All in all it is a decent telling story but one that I feel hasn't aged well for how many children can you honestly say in your life even know who Harlequin is?
The story's illustrations are rather on the lighter side with the oldness of the telling while the night costume of Harlequin probably being the brightest illustration even when the rest of the audience is suppose to be just as bright. To me what really bothers me is the fact that as old as the story is meant to be it has more of a modern flair when you compare the looks of the children in the story as well as some of the events the children are excited for.
All in all it is a decent telling story but one that I feel hasn't aged well for how many children can you honestly say in your life even know who Harlequin is?
November 13, 2023
Short story of a Carnival festival in Medieval times in an unnamed Italian(?) city. A boy named Harlequin is too poor to afford a costume to Carnival, so his friends pitch together pieces of their costumes that allow him to craft a many-colored suit. The book includes a brief note about traditional Carnival Harlequins that the boy is patterned after.
A fairly straight-forward, sweet story about communities coming together to help each other. Without using the modern parlance it's essentially a story about mutual-aid. It would be a good book to pair with other community-based stories or folk stories. Kadir Nelson's If You Plant a Seed and the folk tale Stone Soup come to mind.
This book was featured in the You Don't Have to Take My Word for It of Reading Rainbow on episode 2, which first aired on June 13th, 1983
A fairly straight-forward, sweet story about communities coming together to help each other. Without using the modern parlance it's essentially a story about mutual-aid. It would be a good book to pair with other community-based stories or folk stories. Kadir Nelson's If You Plant a Seed and the folk tale Stone Soup come to mind.
This book was featured in the You Don't Have to Take My Word for It of Reading Rainbow on episode 2, which first aired on June 13th, 1983
March 6, 2024
What a nice story. I bet it's prettier irl than as scanned to the archive at openlibrary.org, too. And it includes a source note! Read for *Reading Rainbow* discussion.
March 28, 2024
A lovely story about friends helping out a needy friend. The pictures were colorful, but at the same time, the colors were somewhat muted. I liked Charlip's artwork, but it didn't overwhelm me.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews