A cute story of a shy ghost wanting to make friends. A quick little story that is good at Halloween or anytime of the year.

This is a super sweet and cute kid's book. I LOVED the artwork. It's beautiful. I enjoy the message, which is a story about shyness and learning to be brave and share yourself with others, and be accepted for who you are. This would be a solid 5/5 if not for Gustavo being "secretly in love with Alma, the prettiest monster in town." 1) why does she have to be the prettiest? Why not the funniest, or hardest-working, or best at riding bikes? I guess it's maybe supposed to be funny because she's invisible but it still just rubbed me the wrong way, implying to impressionable minds that only beauty is lovable and if you're not beautiful you're not lovable. And for no reason, because the rest of the book is about friendship, and Gustavo's crush/love is never mentioned again! It would have literally not changed the book at all to leave that out.

It's not enough to make me not read this book to my kid, but it's one of those lines I'd change and hope she doesn't notice when she's old enough to start recognizing words.

Gustavo is such a friendly ghost that you can’t help but love! He just wants to feel connected. We can all emphasize with this character and enjoy his journey. Not only is this a really cute story, but the illustrations are beautiful and bright!

Review to come July 2nd 2020 on blog/goodreads

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

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?).

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.

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.

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.

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

Such a sweet children's book! I can't wait to add this to my classroom collection. The illustrations and the message make this such a unique book!

This was such a sweet book about Gustavo, the shy ghost. Gustavo is longing for friends but he is too shy to speak to them. So, any time he is around others they don’t even see him. He is literally invisible. It was great seeing his personality stay intact throughout the book but he also grew.

I like Gustavo! He's a sweet shy ghost who is lonely. This is the story of his struggle to make friends. The illustrations are beautiful, and children will enjoy this story and relate to sweet Gustavo.

Thanks to Candlewick Press and Netgalley for the advance copy. #netgalley #gustavotheshyghost

So stinking cute! I absolutely loved this book! The artwork was precious and the story was very sweet. I loved the theme of learning to make friends and overcoming anxiety. A very sweet book I’d recommend for everyone. I still can’t get over the artwork!

This one was a lovely, heartwarming book.

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.

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!

Loved the illustrations, as well, not only the drawings themselves but the patterns, the textures, the Mexican references, etc. Hope to see more of Gustavo soon!

This is a cute, quick children's book. I love all things spooky, and this is the perfect balance of spooky and sweet at the same time. The story is sweet, the illustrations are beautiful, and it would make a fun Halloween read for kids1

This is a sweet picture book about a shy little ghost who must learn to be brave in order to make new friends. The art style is charming, and the world of monsters depicted is a lot of fun. I really appreciate the book’s message that although one may have to go a bit outside their comfort zone to meet new people, it is okay to be shy and quiet friends still have much to offer!

What a treasure in this book! You get to meet the introverted ghost, Gustavo, as he learns to make friends and see a beautiful culture celebrated. Students especially familiar with Dia de Los Muertos will beem with excitement when they see all of Gustavo's friends. Lots of interesting details hide in the illustrations. A great book for Halloween fans as well!

Oh, Gustavo! I can relate so much! I was a very shy child and I know so many children will relate to this story too. And bonus, these are some seriously cute illustrations.

This book is a sweet story about a ghost with social anxiety. I highly recommend this book for children who are having a hard time.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh. My. Cuteness. I am in love with this book! I am putting in a request that we order this title at my library, because I HAVE to have it!

First of all, this book has the most adorable illustrations. I didn't know that a Halloween/Dia De Los Muertos book could feel so cheerful! Every page is a colorful feast for the eyes, with so many interesting things to look at and appreciate. Sometimes I open a picture book and know immediately that I can't use it for Storytime because the illustrations are too crowded. But this one strikes just the right balance. I also love that many of the pages have a search-and-find element, so children can try to find Gustavo hiding!

Not only are the illustrations cute as a button, the story is great. I love books that feature shy children finding their place in the world. Without being too preachy, this book reminds us that the discomfort of being brave is usually worth it. For Gustavo, leaving the comfort of safety reaps the greater reward of friendship.

Last, but certainly not least, I'm THRILLED to see a quality picture book about Dia de los Muertos! Publishers, we need more Dia de los Muertos books. My library community has many Latinx patrons, and I'm always on the hunt for books that prominently feature the Latinx experience--especially holidays. I know many children's librarians would be thrilled to have more picture books that are short and snappy enough for storytime. I'm already thinking about how I can use The Very Hungry Ghost felt story with Gustavo around Halloween this year!

I can't wait to see what's next from this author/illustrator.

Title: Gustavo, The Shy Ghost
Author: Flavia Z Drago
Release Date: 7.14.2020
Review Date: 4.27.2020

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.


This was adorable. The illustrations were so beautiful and the story was sweet. Really good.

Adorable! Perfect for kids around Halloween; a charming introduction to Dia de los Muertos, as well as a look at how hard it can be to make friends when you feel shy. Great addition to the children's section.

Was unable to downloaded. Tried multiple venues; computer, phone, work laptop. Is there an option to send to kindle?

I received an electronic ARC from Candlewick Press through NetGalley.
Charming story about overcoming shyness by taking a bold step to be seen. Gustavo is too shy to interact with the other monster children. He longs to be part of the group but is afraid to speak up. He gathers his courage and invites them to a solo violin concert. No one comes but he decides to play anyway. To his surprise, they had gotten lost and his music allowed them to find him. From that point, he was visible and included for who he is. He learned that they accepted him for the quiet ghost he is.
Drago spins his story of this shy ghost so readers might see themselves. Terrific story to encourage a shy child to take a risk. The language is easy to read for lower to middle elementary level though the cursive speech bubbles may be harder for them.
Looking forward to sharing this with classes.

This book is so sweet and cute. I love the illustrations! They are so colorful! I love that it makes the ghost friendly and shy, rather then scary.