Gustavo, the Shy Ghost (The World of Gustavo)

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Mexican artist Drago’s picture book debut offers a gentle friendship tale and folk-art-style, textural mixed-media pictures. Mat: I loved how you tapped into that sense of shyness and reluctance to approach others that can affect children (and adults). Was the idea behind the story largely based on your own childhood and why was this an important message for you to share? Mexican artist Drago's picture book debut offers a gentle friendship tale and folk-art-style, textural mixed-media pictures.

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? The author, Flavia Z. Drago, is a Mexican artist. I am always looking for ways to make our library more diverse, in the stories and authors, and this book makes such a great addition. Since this book includes so many references to the Mexican holiday, I appreciate that it comes from a Mexican author. This lonely ghost desperately wants to make a friend but he’s too shy to talk to them. Even when he’s near the other monsters, no one sees him.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. The story is simple with clear story elements. This is a great book for retelling, because the story events and story elements (character, setting, problem and solution) are clear and easy to identify as students practice these skills. 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. Born and raised in Mexico City, Drago fills her sweet ghost story with vibrant colors, textures, and authentic details from Mexican culture. Her illustrations burst with whimsical flourishes and clever details that youngsters will want to pore over repeatedly. While ideal for Day of the Dead, this heartwarming story about bravely taking the first step toward friendship is wonderful for little listeners year-round.

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. 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. It hits such an important skill..making friends! So many times, our students and kids at home don’t know HOW to make friends. We spend a lot of time talking about being a good friend, but many students need direct instruction on how to introduce themselves, and how to make connections with those around them. 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?).When I started making the book, I didn’t notice how much I had in common with Gustavo, but the more I got to understand him, I realised that telling this story was important for me because I wanted to show that being shy doesn’t mean that you don’t enjoy the company of people – or in this case, monsters! – It just means that you find it difficult to reach to others, especially for the first time. In Gustavo the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago, a shy ghost struggles with finding the courage to make friends. But, he decides to share his passion with others and in turn, introduces himself to a whole new group of friends. Gustavo the Shy Ghost Activities Flavia: Learning how to use colour has been a slow process, I remember that on my first illustrations I tended to use all the colours of the rainbow and all the textures at the same time – what a nightmare! As I slowly learned, I realised that you can do wonders with a limited palette because it gives coherence to the illustrations, creates atmospheres, catches the eye, and also, colour conveys meaning, so it’s one of the most valuable tools to master.