Gustavo, the Shy Ghost (The World of Gustavo)

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The art is just the most fabulous, I love love love the style so much. It is cute but also spooky and fits so well with the book. I loved seeing Gustavo in various forms from his cute ghost form to a blanket to a painting. Gustavo, the Shy Ghost Yes, it was a sweet little book. I tend not to like the "shy" label, and felt it rather unnecessary that Gustavo is "in love" with Alma the monster (they are both the equivalent of children and I'm just personally not a fan of that sort of thing for elementary age kids). I also think it was a bit idealized, that Gustavo goes from being too shy to really show himself to any of the children to suddenly planning a big party and inviting everyone (and, of course, everyone comes and everyone likes Gustavo--which is also idealized). But, it's a sweet book... the message overall is a good one: if you truly show yourself to people, rather than hiding from them, you'll find that they like you the way you are*. And I liked that Gustavo doesn't have a complete personality change, he is still a bit more reserved but finds ways to interact with his new friends. Great illustrations, though may not be suitable for sensitive youngsters. Just look at this cover, who could resist reading this book? I know I couldn’t. I love ghosts, spooky ghosts, creepy ghosts, but I also love cute ghosts (Casper anyone?).

Mexican artist Drago’s picture book debut offers a gentle friendship tale and folk-art-style, textural mixed-media pictures. One day Gustavo has an idea. He writes a letter to the other monsters inviting them to his Day of the Dead concert which he is holding in the cemetery where he will play his violin for them and hopefully they will like it and become his friend. But will his plan work? Flavia Z. Dragó’s Gustavo, the Shy Ghost is an adorable picture book about finding the courage to make friends. The art is lovely and colourful while the simple storyline is easy-to-follow. This is a perfect and sweet read for the spooky season but it will definitely stay with you throughout the year! I loved the town and the people who lived there. Permanent Halloween Town? Sign me up! It seems like such a wonderful and spooky place to live and I had fun seeing who lived there. From invisible girls to werewolves to witches and pumpkin people. It was a delight.

Shy ghost Gustavo loves doing ghostly things like passing through walls and making things fly. He also loves playing the violin. However, poor Gustavo is terribly shy. He struggles to make friends with the other monsters. Although he tries his best to get close to them, they never see him. One day, he musters up the courage and invites them to a violin concert at the Day of the Dead party. Will Gustavo finally be able to show the other little monsters who he really is? Gustavo is a ghost, a very, very shy ghost. He doesn’t know how to make friends with the other monsters and feels like no one can ever see him. What he does like is playing his violin. It's about Gustavo, a shy ghost that loves playing the violin and finds it difficult to make friends. He's in love with Alma, a lovely monster, and wants to talk to her but never has enough courage to do so. Until one day he decides that to have friends he has to talk to the other monsters, so he invites them to his violin concert.

This is a debut novel from Drago, a Mexican author and illustrator, and she deftly weaves in cultural references. The illustrations are bright and detailed. Gentle storytelling and vibrant mixed-media illustrations make for an enjoyable seasonal story. I’ve already read this book so many times that I’ve lost count. I only wish I had a little monster to read it to.

Utterly beautiful in design and execution, Gustavo tells the story of a little Mexican ghost who doesn't know how to make friends. It doesn't help that those he'd like to spend time with him never seem to notice him - but this is what happens when you're a ghost. Perhaps if he calls upon his passion for violin playing out in the local graveyard, others will be drawn to his music and feelings. Gustavo tells that universal story of the nervousness of finding friends and fitting in - albeit with a cast of retro mini-monsters and incorporeal characters. La historia trata sobre Gustavo, un fantasma tímido que ama tocar el violín y le es difícil hacer amigues. Está enamorado de Alma, la monstruita más linda, y quiere hablarle pero nunca tiene el suficiente coraje para hacerlo. Hasta que un día se da cuenta que para tener amigues les tiene que hablar a les otres monstruites, así que les invita a su concierto de violín. Any child can relate to Gustavo, that's for sure! I could, and I'm 25 years old! Sometimes making friends is difficult and social interactions fill us up with anxiety, but if we have true intentions and meet good people on our way, we can have so many incredible full-of-adventures friendships!

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost is a sweet and beautifully illustrated read. I loved this picture book and I am excited to see what Flavia Z. Dragó puts out next!This is a fantasy story with supernatural elements as Gustavo is a ghost. Gustavo is incredibly shy, so he has a hard time making friends. One day, he decides to be brave and invite all of his monster friends to his violin concert on Día de los Muertos. This small gesture of friendship completely changes Gustavo’s life. You might be expecting a children’s book featuring ghosts and monsters to be scary, but it certainly isn’t. Gustavo is exceptionally cute. He loves being helpful, he’s kind, and he adores playing the violin. The monsters in the book do normal things like playing together, eating ‘ice-scream’, and walking their pets.

This is such a sweet little story! The storyline is simple and easy-to-follow. I especially love how well Dragó explores the themes of friendship, loneliness, bravery, and being true to yourself. These are familiar but timeless themes. The book presents them in a lovely, accessible, and visually appealing way that will be easily relatable to both child and adult readers. I love the cheerfully spooky illustrations with their soft but vibrant colours and wonderful details. Every time I reread, I find myself noticing some new detail in the beautiful drawings that I didn’t see before! I also love the little bits of visual humour in the art. I especially love how Mexican culture, especially the Day of the Dead and its festivities, shine through the illustrations. The little monsters are all so adorable and unique! Although Gustavo is simply drawn, there’s just something so adorable about him with his cute smile and rosy cheeks. Gustavo is a sympathetic protagonist, and the illustrations are filled with appealing monsters and witty details. Meet Gustavo, he is a very spooky ghost with a lot of ghostly talents, but he has one big problem… he is very very very shy. In this book we see that he does try, but little dude, they are just not going to see you if you aren’t yourself (being a balloon or a lamp is just not something that stands out). I was cheering for him to step up, to be brave, to do something, because it seems that he has some very interesting classmates that may just be the friends he wants. I was so delighted to see him devise a plan that would make him stand out. I won’t tell you what his plan is, but I can tell you this, it was a great plan. It combines something he loves with something he is good at. I have to say when the plan was set in motion that I was a bit saddened… this couldn’t be how it ended, right?? And thankfully it didn’t and instead I just had a big grin on my face. This winning debut picture book from Mexican artist Flavia Z. Drago about finding the courage to make friends is perfect for the spooky season — or anytime.

Creo que cualquier niñe puede identificarse con Gustavo-- yo pude, y tengo (casi) 25. A veces hacer amigues es difícil y las interacciones sociales nos llenan de ansiedad, pero si nuestras intenciones son buenas y nos cruzamos con buena gente, podemos llegar a tener amistades increíbles y llenas de aventuras. All in all, this is one spoopy book that I would recommend to all. It features bravery, friendship, ghosts, and violin music.