Gustavo, the Shy Ghost (The World of Gustavo)

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All in all, this is one spoopy book that I would recommend to all. It features bravery, friendship, ghosts, and violin music. 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.

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. 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.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. 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 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. 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.

Mexican-born author/illustrator Drago sweetly captures the angst-y little ghost’s perpetual perturbation…Iconic images of Mexican culture cleverly pepper the scenery. With the papel picado banners, panes de muerto, and Catrinas, Drago provides a festive environment for Gustavo’s laments. Decorated skulls peek out from around every corner; even the family goldfish is a smiling skeleton. This ghostly tale proves that anyone can have a happily-ever-after.Finally, Gustavo comes up with a plan. Even though he’s filled with self doubt in the lead up to the Day of the Dead, Gustavo is determined to be brave. 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. 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. 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? 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.