The Giant is Coming

Critical reviews

A craftsman with words, Tsitas knows how to attract and hold the attention of children, and his love of doing just that is obvious. He knows their interests, their grasp of language and the trappings of a child’s soul. Among the main features of his writing are expressive simplicity, image-making powers, effortless humour and humanity.  [. . .] The aim of Tsitas’s tales remains their ability to entertain, cultivate emotions and develop a child’s imagination. What is certain however is that our little friends acquire the power to create images with their reading along with many other invisible benefits: they offer valuable lessons in life.
Agathi Georgiadou, Periou, 01/06/24

An enchanting book that offers a rich and exciting reading experience. The story of the giant Angougaran and the inhabitants of a small town is full of imagination, action and important messages for children. Nicola Hatzistamatopoulou’s exceptional illustrations add to the overall impression, making this book a valuable addition to every child’s library.
Alexia Vlara, theatromusicbooks, 23/05/24

Makis Tsitas’ story belongs to Metaichmio Publications’ Little Goodnight series, addressed to children from 3 years of age. Nevertheless, it deals with the deepest political and psychological issues which are at the core of contemporary social and political life. The spreading of fake news, the behaviour of people under the reign of rumour-mongering and unchecked information enters the heart of the story, which emerges with great skill and imagination. The author surprises us with the way in which the subject unfolds so simply that a small child can understand it, while at the same time communicating the dimensions and consequences which affect us all, our spiritual and emotional health, our social and political existence.
Efthymia Andrioti, “The magic world of the children’s book,” kosvoice.gr, 19/03/23

How I enjoyed this pint-sized book that contains such large symbols and truths! You, too, don’t believe everything you hear from right and left about enormous giants and don’t be afraid. Keep away from those who tell you lies, who upset you and make you anxious. Wait and see first or even better, read this story,
Athanasia Dafioti, stonisi.gr, 04/03/23 

This is a symbolic book that lends itself to critical reading and reading together as a family. A lilliputian book that talks about the gigantic events of our time, some of which originate from main-stream decision makers, others from our daily lives. Things that we must talk about with our children, to help them develop, above all, the habit of critical thinking.
Giannis S, Papadatos, Avgi newspaper, 17/02/23 

By means of a story that is simple in its conception and told in such a simple way that even a small child can understand it, Tsitas offers this child (and with the help of an adult teacher or parent) the possibility of arming itself against uncontrolled information and realising that before we accept a news item as fact that we must try to establish its source.
One of Makis Tsitas’ finest little stories . . .
Manos Kontoleon, bookpress.gr, 29/09/22

Using the form of a classic fairy tale, a giant who is preparing to attack a town, Tsitas has essentially created a timeless political fable, which is exceptionally right for our times.
Erika Athanasiou, Anagnostis, 27/08/22

The subject, brilliantly conceived by the inventive Makis Tsitas yet again, is Fake News, the name we have given the dissemination of misinformation that creeps into our consciousness like a contagious disease and influences public opinion. Looking at the story, we confirm how beautifully the author has tied his meanings, in a simple way, so as to render them clear to both children and adults: ‘Don’t listen to what the cunning people are telling us, uncritically, without exercising judgement’.
Anthoula Daniel, Peri Ou, 06/08/22 

Makis Tsitas Giant functions as a caustic comment on rumour, uncontrolled fearmongering, misinformation and fabricated news. Children who read this, while looking at the illustrations, will be able, depending on their age, to understand everything, thanks to the clear language of this experienced author. Let their parents keep them company as they read it, helping them digest the meanings, draw examples from similar situations in real life and enjoy with them a tale well told.
Georgia Galanopoulou, Hartis, 02/08/22

The elements of myth as elaborated in this beautifully written, original story – hyperbole, imaginary framework, quick resolution and happy end – will electrify the imagination of children, who with its help will create their own dreamworld, because that appeals to them more than the real one.
Niki Salpadimou, Peri Ou, 16/07/22

The case of Makis Tsitas is exactly this: With his children’s books, this most charismatic prose craftsman, diembolizei pulls together prevailing perceptions to arrive at their core, where he unmasks them, and with his own, new material, offers different ones in a form readily absorbed by a child. In his latest book, The Giant is Coming, which is deceptively reminiscent of old fairy tales (the evil or good giant), he manages to debunk the power of artfully dispersed lies that so easily seduce the social animal into an erroneous view of reality . . .
The illustrations by Nikolas Hatzistamoulos complement the brilliant text in the best possible way.
Dione Dimitriadou, fractalart.gr, 06/07/22

Makis Tsitas, yet again, impresses us with his talent as a writer. He takes a real condition, the dissemination of a dubious rumour which can alter our behaviour and our lives, and constructs a story, not just for children but for adults too, telling all of us something very important: Stay calm and do not give in to fear, because they both erase our power to think!”
Toula Repapi, frear.gr, 20/06/22

Makis Tsitas’ imaginative book, The Giant is Coming, will contribute to its readers’ maturity. The multiple and mutually conflicting roles of today’s parents, the numerous after-school activities of today’s kids, television, the internet, all often deprive the family of discussion and genuine entertainment. Makis Tsitas’ book, with its revealing and timely subject matter, comes at the moment when screens are sowing fear, evil and violence, enabling the creation of human beings without judgment or will.
Lilia Tsouva, culturebook.gr, 18/06/22

A book that talks to us in the most imaginative and intelligent way about disinformation, about how easily each of us can fall victim to fraud, about the way certain people exploit circumstances in order to get rich from others’ anxiety and fear.
Makis Tsitas has accustomed us to well-written, lively, entertaining stories that are fun to read aloud.
Vanessa Neroutsou, Happy Learning Seeds, 06/06/22

The author succeeds in putting thoughts in the head of the most mature readers and planting the seed of critical thinking in the youngest generation, provoking both to question what finally is true and what is false, to ask how we can trust the constant flood of information that rushes before us every day, putting us in danger of drowning in its path. He forces us to stop to reflect on the role the acquisition and constant exercise of critical thinking plays in our lives so that we can filter everything we receive every day and then be able to proceed to [the right] conclusions.
This is a story that deserves to be read and added to the family library, as it will reward whoever reads it regardless of age, sending a timeless message that every citizen in society at large should keep in mind at all times.
Christos Ioannou, irafina.gr, 12/05/22 

Makis Tsitas treats a timely and sensitive subject in a discreet and imaginative way. Using this book as a starting point, children will learn to live in a strange world where the dissemination of fake news and false information is something very common. But they will also learn that this creates negative impressions and can lead to the wrong actions and or even a dead end.
Asimina Xirogianni, fractalart.gr, 27/04/22

I single out Makis Tsitas’ Giant as a unique children’s book both in terms of content and of style, just the kind of thing I like.
It may be small in size, but it ranks large in importance.
Viky Sgourelli, unspotted.gr, 25/04/22

In this story Makis Tsitas’ sketches these societies (most if not all) and these citizens in a marvelous way. Without departing from the humble material of Little Goodnights and some of the familiar characteristics of the folktales on which it is based, he takes the subjects one or two steps further, creating an exceptionally critical and pointed commentary on the dissemination of fake news, on the terrorization of citizens who possess no judgement or critical thinking, their absolute reliance on baseless rumours, and their exploitation by ingenious sharks seeking to profit and gamble on the psychology of the mob.
Apostolos Pappos, elniplex.com, 20/04/22

A “Little Goodnight” that is fanciful, heartwarming, instructive and very intelligent. Subjects such as disinformation, vested interests, falsehoods, censorship, the “yellow press” could not be conveyed better than through this superb story.
Eleni Beteinaki, fractalart.gr, 20/04/22

The Giant is Coming is the best option for a quick goodnight read to our small children and at the same time the best way to warn them from a tender age that they need to carefully filter what they hear and to not accept at face value what others who have vested interests try to pass on as the truth.
Lefki Sarantinou, literature.gr, 15/04/22

Makis Tsitas has written an interesting story for small children aged 4 and up about the catastrophic consequences of rumours and the way some people exploit ignorance and fear in order to make more money. Children will be entertained by the preparations for the arrival of the giant and the subversive outcome while with the help of their parents they can start interesting constructive conversations about the deeper meaning of the story.
Panos Tourlis, vivliokritikes.com, 14/04/22

For small children with a lot of imagination and for young parents with a lot of appetite.
Giorgos Vaïlakis, popaganda.gr, 09/04/22