Why aren’t you asleep, Mama?

Critical reviews

A book for all the mothers whose daily routine keeps them awake at night. But it is also a book that, through the reversal of roles, reminds us that love and care are beyond roles and age.
The narrator’s language is spare, measured, abstract. The text broadly constructed on a scale appropriate for the age it addresses. Yota Kokkosi’s illustrations complement the text, word for word, with joyful, lively colours.
Katerina Zamaria, Avgi newspaper, 07/09/25

The book is noteworthy for its simplicity and its portrayal of real life.
Tsitas weaves a dialogue between mother and son that is tender, familiar, alive and playful with a brilliant twist in the reversal of roles. It shows that we can pass beautiful messages to the younger generation in a simple and meaningful way. The crafting of the storycontributes to the child’s becoming more mature. The illustrations with their attractive colours and the expressive figures of the characters also work positively for a child’s soul.
Lilia Tsouva, frear.gr, 07/05/25

A brilliant book, which, behind the simplicity of the narrative and the warmth of the illustrations, conceals timeless, deep human worries. . . Makis Tsitas, a master at sketching characters, does not resort to didactic and simplistic formulas. Through the eyes of little Hari, he manages to speak both to the child and to the adult reader.
Agathe Georgiadou, Fractal, 25/03/25

Through Tsitas’ masterful writing and his perfect rendering of the story, the book draws the reader’s attention to a world where the innocence of the child and the timeless worries of the adult are woven into an emotional composition full of sensitivity and humour.
Giouli Tsakalou, Eleftheros Typos newspaper, 14/02/25

Makis Tsitas, for years now has been stirring the waters of current literature and has offered us countless journeys through his books that please us greatly.
Konstantinos Ioakeimides, methismenesistories.blogspot.com, 06/02/25

. . . A tender story full of love
Katerina Sideri, vivlio-life.gr, 09/01/25

The book is meant for readers from four years of age and up. But there are ramifications that touch their parents too. Because Makis Tsitas, a genuine, modern storyteller, brings children closer to reality. Today’s children need to understand the world around them in an immediate and vibrant way . . . In this story there is the following direction: the children orient themselves towards helping others, taking part in family life. The young hero stands as a positive model for his age group.
Asimina Xirogianni, Fractal, 17/12/24

A rich, but pithy, polished text with a realism that offers a range of possibilities for readers to identify with. The author does not succumb to advice, suggestions, or lectures but he devises a game of exchanging roles which in the end returns to the norm, highlighting the nature of the mother and of the child, . . . I found magical the way in which the author inserts ideas, thoughts, clues, and questions into the innocent, tender, amusing main body of the story. . .
Apostolos Pappos, Elniplex, 15/12/24

This story breaks with the supposedly known, leading the reader into the depths of the real, sensitive moments in daily life that can escape us, but it is certain that amongst other things, they also define the level of relationships as well as the social reality within the frame of the family . . . The important thing in this instance is that it presents a mother who cultivates in her child the meaning of participation in the emotional and social atmosphere of the family, developing his empathy in a tender and absolutely creative way.
Giannis Papadatos, Peri Ou, 07/12/24

Makis Tsitas, who has a different style in every book, but always stands out for his unpretentious language and collaboration with talented illustrators, offers young children examples of grandparents and parents who not only remind them of their own but which often ‘undermine’ them through humour and the exchange of roles to give the children new power. Sometimes this tender and selfless relationship contributes to the understanding, love and trust that develops between a child and the adults.
Ada Katsiki-Grivalou, Bookpress, 05/12/24

Makis Tsitas possesses exceptional expressive talents and he makes good use of the Greek language in its abundant, timeless, fluid musicality. He has succeeded in refining a ‘dialect’ that is simple, every-day, and accessible without neologisms and pretentious acrobatics, but with the accuracy of the established social meaning. . . .
Exemplary, noteworthy, a valuable book for every student.
Konstantinos Bouras, Peri Ou, 23/11/24

The more I read the books of Makis Tsitas, the more I realise how well he knows the human psyche and the reality of childhood and its need for answers. Of course, he never gives out ready answers, nor is he didactic . . . The author of God is My Witness, award winner and so prolific, bursts with passion in writing for the theatre, verse and books for children, giving us some of the most important pages of contemporary children’s ‘fairy tales’. He well knows how to write books for children that reveal the truth for adults too. Books with many different levels and many deeper readings. This book, with its exceptional illustrations by Yota Kokkosi, is aimed at children aged 4 and older, as he says, but also to all grownups.
Eleni Lintzaropoulou, fractal, 19/11/24

Another tender addition to books for children by their beloved author Makis Tsitas, who depicts and praises motherly love, one of the most powerful and devoted kinds of love that a person can experience. At the same time, accompanied by the beautiful illustrations of Yota Kokkosi, the book speaks of the mother-child relationship and the author, in an expression of consummate gratitude, has dedicated it to the memory of his own beloved mother.
Dimitris Varvarigos, culturebook, 13/11/24

The case of Makis Tsitas is exactly this: he is not content with a simplification of social reality, so as to ‘fast talk’ childhood innocence, but to ‘de-mythologise’ the ready answers of fairy tales, showing the real dimensions of our world, provoking the child’s fertile questioning about the world in which they are gradually entering. In essence, he offers another view of things, even if its images collide with what the adult world has learned to consider stable and unalterable. With his children’s books (a charismatic writer in any case), he deconstructs prevailing perceptions, arriving at their core and he presents alternatives to the perceptions of childhood.
Dione Dimitriadou, fractal, 19/11/24

A book that leaves you with a sweet taste and is a discreet reminder to children who have trouble falling asleep. The daddies should read this too!
Kostas Stoforos, Literature, 20/11/24

A story-tribute to all the mamas of this world.
Lefki Sarantinou, Literature, 20/11/24

Makis Tsitas is one of those writers who possesses the art of language, able to satisfy both young and old readers. Never have I felt, up to today, no matter how many books of his I’ve read, that I haven’t received everything I wished for.
Drawing on the instinctive innocence and selfless love felt by both parents and children towards each other, the writer speaks of this unique and unbreakable bond that we are lucky enough to experience. And using alanguage that is so sweet and accessible, he offers us an understandable and entertaining tale that captivated me! Look for it!
Kyriaki Ganiti, dominicamat.gr, 18/11/24

Why Aren’t You Asleep, Mama? is a tender story that speaks to the hearts of both children and their parents. Makis Tsitas manages to bring to the fore a daily worry with humour and sensitivity, reminding readers that concern and empathy have no age limit. This is a book that promotes the family bond and understanding, while at the same time creating a safe framework for children to express their love and support towards their parents.
Alexia Vlara, Open Mind, 12/11/24