I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. The pictures were so bright and eye catching. The story was so good. The main character was cute and relatable. I read it with my 5 year old niece who absolutely loved it.

What an adorable book! Gustavo is a little ghost boy who is very good at playing the violin, but not very good at making friends. He's very shy, and tries to get close to the other monster children, but ends up hiding in plain sight, and they can't see him, and he's too shy to say anything. He finally decides he'll invite everyone to a concert in the cemetery, but no one shows up. To make himself feel better, he plays his violin anyway, and the children, who were lost, are able to find him. They invite him to play with them, and (my favorite part) they accept him as he is- not very talkative, but a he's a good friend who will always help and protect his friends, and who has many surprising talents. The story is very sweet, but the real star here is Drago's mixed-media illustrations; the texture, color and tone, and the details really add so much to the text, with details added for the parents and grandparents to enjoy too, like a scene in Gustavo's room with records on the floor, and one album is a parody of The Cure's album "Boys Don't Cry," appropriately named "Ghouls Don't Cry."
I'm hoping Gustavo will be in more books in the future, because he's such a sweet character, and the monster world Drago has created is so cute! Also, Gustavo has a crush on Alma, an invisible girl, that never gets a resolution in this story, so I'm hoping we'll get a book about that next!

#GustavotheShyGhost #NetGalley

A charming story about a young ghost and his quest to be brave, speak up, and make some friends.

Gustavo is such a cutie! He is a sweet little ghost and the illustrations do a good job of making him very adorable and likable (though he doesn't say much!).

Bonus points for Mexican culture references and the "prettiest monster in town" being invisible.

Such an adorable and beautiful picture book! Gustavo shows us to be brave and follow our passions and our true friends will find us! Perfect for the spooky season, or anytime we need to remember ourselves!

A fabulous book for shy children. The story of a ghost that is nervous about making friends. The illustrations are brill and could be used as a little side activity to spot Gustavo when he is hiding from his friends.

What a beautiful book! I loved the story, the art, and the use of color. It was delightful. I absolutely loved it.

I thought that the images in this book were wonderful and the story was perfect.

I loved that Gustavo is a shy ghost and so many children will be able to know that they are not alone with their worries about making friends and fitting in.

It was a lovely little story and perfect for this time of the year too where we are fast approaching October and Halloween and the Day of the Dead festival celebrations.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, I loved it – very highly recommended!

This was so cute! I loved the message of this and the illustrations were adorable. This put such a big smile on my face. I loved this so much.

This is a book about friendship and overcoming shyness, cast with a variety of paranormal creatures.

Gustavo is a ghost. He's a talented spook who plays the violin. But when it comes to making friends, he's not quite as adept. He's simply too shy! And a little bit invisible. Feeling brave, he decides to hold a violin concert and invite all the monsters he wishes would be his friends. Will his risk pay off?

I can see this being a good selection for the upcoming spooky season. It talks about the Day of the Dead, but it would probably fit in on a Halloween shelf, too. The variety of monsters is fun and creative, and the illustrations are engaging.

Overall, this is a strong picture book about using your strengths to overcome your weaknesses.

Gustavo is a ghost who is very, very shy. They have a hard time talking to people, but he tries to be present and involved, they are just not seen. But Gustavo decides to be brave, to be front and center and perform a violin concert for everyone. Now they are finally noticed, and friends are made. The story is adorable and the artwork perfectly matches the story and tone. While the book does mention Day of the Dead, this book could be read any time and does not need to be regulated to the “holiday” shelf.

This book was adorable. I really like the art work and the story. The message was also adorable. Would buy this for my daughter.

This sweet book reminds me of the classic Gus the Ghost books in the best possible way. The artwork is bright and expressive. I really felt for poor little Gustavo - being brave and putting yourself out there is so hard when you're shy! Drago did a fabulous job capturing those complex emotions.

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!

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?

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, 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!


👻 👻 👻 👻 👻 out of 5 ghosts!

This was a delightful, charming, and touching picture book (with text). It is all about a ghost who is shy, but wants to make friends. The story itself is really cute, I loved it. But what really makes this book are the wonderful illustrations. They are charming, and beautiful, and full of all sorts of delightful details.

I’d imagine this would be perfect for curling up with your child and reading to them whilst they look at the pictures, then as they get older, they would learn to read it for themselves.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

“I have to be brave.
I have to let the others see me!”

Gustavo is such a sweetheart!

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.

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 love that Gustavo’s plan involves an activity that he enjoys, that he doesn’t try to become someone else in order to get the other monsters to notice him. His courage is rewarded and this little spectral introvert finds not just one friend but many.

The illustrations are so cute, clearly showing the way Gustavo is feeling throughout the story. There are a variety of monsters and plenty of background details to enjoy.

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.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for introducing me to such an adorable kindred introvert.

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost, written and illustrated by Flavia Z. Drago, is a picturebook currently scheduled for release on July 14 2020. Gustavo is good at doing all sorts of ghostly things: walking through walls, making objects fly, and glowing in the dark. He loves almost nothing more than playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo is shy, and some things are harder for him to do, like making friends with other monsters. Whenever he tries getting close to them, he realizes they just can’t see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, what can he do to make them notice him and to share with them something he loves?

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost is a sweet picturebook with beautiful illustrations. I really enjoyed the art style and think the illustrations did a great job of adding to the story and including humor. As someone that has always been on the shy side, I could relate to Gustavo's troubles in talking to others- and even when we are not really invisible to them like he is sometimes we can feel that way. I really enjoyed Gustavo's journey, and how detailed and vivid the images are and how ideas like loneliness and kindness are handled. I think this would be a great read aloud, a story to share both around the Day of the Dead and in the beginning of a school year or start of a storytime program season to help young readers. It could be a great discussion starter and ice break- and is just a lovely read.

I recieved a copy of this for review from Netgalley.

Gustavo is a ghost who is terrified of making friends. He tries and tries to connect with kids his age, but is scared of rejection.

He loves to play his violin and invites the other kids to listen to him play, which opens the door for them to get to know him.

This is a very sweet story of friendship and overcoming shyness for younger readers

Drago has layered different textures here, giving the illustrations a full and lived in look.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.

My kids and I love the illustrations and absolutely enjoyed the story. We will be adding this to our home library!

This is such a wholesome little spooky book. My sons loved all the little monsters and spent tons of time looking at all the detailed illustrations.

As an indigenous Latina I adored this children's book! So much as I am planning on buying it for my future children. I was a very shy child in my youth so I could relate to this. Flavia does an amazing job to gentle approach the subject of the hardships of making friend when very shy. The illustrations are also amazing! One of my favorite holidays is the Day of the Dead. Please write more children's books with this little ghost!