Gustavo is a ghost. He is a very friendly, caring, and talented ghost. However, he is extremely shy and has trouble making friends. Gustavo comes up with an idea to make friends on Day of the Dead, but will his nerves make him "ghost," or will his new friends "ghost" him?
I absolutely loved the illustrations, which were colored-pencil style. The detail of the illustrations made it easy to feel immersed in the story. I especially loved the "child" versions of well-known "monsters" such as witches, pumpkin-heads, Frankenstein, and swamp monsters. The illustrations are funny as well, depicting Gustavo in various shapes and formats as he attempts to make friends, and will be fun for children and parents to look for him on the pages - as a balloon, a canvas, an umbrella, and more. The little details really make this book amazing and give it such a personal touch - the skeleton pet fish, the "Death's-Head Moths," the eye scream, and the ethnic touches of Day of the Dead and Lucha Libre.

The story itself is simple and sweet, and shows children that while it can be spooky to make new friends, it's worth the effort. It also shows that . The book also comes in Spanish, and I found myself wishing that the Spanish version and English version were included together to help children learn some more about Latinx culture. This book is perfect for little monsters during October and November, but would make a good read anytime.

NOTE: I received an ARC copy of this book on NetGalley. I received no incentive to read or review this book other than said copy of work. The review below contains my own thoughts and opinions. Special thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the free copy.

[ENG]
'Making friends was terryfying'
Gustavo the Shy Ghost is a lovely book.
Scrolling through the pages we can learn with Gustavo how to make friends being ourselves. Didn't matter how shy you were, you can always improve yourself.
This book is the debut novel of an incredible artist. With cute ilustrations Flavia Drago show us a lot of monsters and colorful details about the Day of the Dead.
Definitely 4 stars.

*The E-Arc was kindly provided by Netgalley and Candlewick Press in exchange for an honest review*

[ESP]
'Hacer amigos era terrorífico'
"Gustavo el fantasmita tímido" es un libro adorable.
A través de las páginas podemos aprender con Gustavo a hacer amigos siendo nosotros mismos. Sin importar cuán tímido seas, siempre podés superarte a vos mismo.
Este es el libro debut de una artista increíble. Con tiernas ilustraciones, Flavia Drago nos muestra un montón de monstruos y detalles coloridos del Día de los Muertos.
Definitivamente 4*.

*Reseña completa ya disponible en 'Cosmos Literario'*

Why... were ghosts so appealing to me as a child? Even though I was a real scaredy-cat growing up (implying that I'm not still too afraid to look at wikipedia articles about supernatural sightings when I'm alone at home), there has just always been something about friendly specters like Gustavo. Perhaps it was simply my little goth genes that made me apply for this galley - and adore it of course. Gustavo is about making friends - and all kinds of friends; from swamp monsters to werewolves almost every colourful creature from folklore is there, represented in the Mexican culture around Día de los Muertos. Great job by the illustrator, I would love to see more of this!

Nothing is better than a clever Halloween themed book. Gustavo is a shy little ghost with an exceptional talent that wins friends over.

This book has extremely adorable details. The book is about the dead and one detail is fish bones instead of a fish. Now that is a perfect detail. I am obsessed with the illustrations and the writing is perfect for a beginning reader.

I will definitely be buying this one when it comes out.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Candlewick Press for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's book. Super fun book to read. Loved the graphics. Very nice story! 4 stars

I absolutely loved this story and the illustrations were too cute. My niece and nephew will love this story as well and I might have read this to them over video chat very soon. I just wish I had this story as a child because I would be reading it all the time. The message in this story is something every shy person could her.

5 stars it was so lovely.
I would definitely have loved owning this one when I was younger, as a shy person. The Art was so stunning and loved the colours used.
Love the message, even though you are shy and don't talk much, , people are still are gonna want to hang out and love you.

The cover art and illustrations immediately drew me in to Gustavo, the Shy Ghost. I loved reading and learning about Gustavo and how being shy was so hard for him. I loved that his passion for music brought him closer to those he wanted to be friends with. Gustavo is a lovable ghost and has a great story to tell.
I felt there was something lacking in the story and that it didn't really come together well at the end. It ended on a happy note, but with limited "story" to the ending.

The illustrations are great. There are two albums in his room one of which Ghosts Don't Cry with the cover art like The Cure's Boys Don't Cry and the other was a Smiths album. There are classic movie monsters along with Day of the Dead art. I love all the details. Gustavo is a character you can easily identify with and want to see succeed. You will want to be Gustavo's friend too. This is a wonderful book and I look forward to sharing this.

Cute and fun story about a shy ghost named Gustavo who learns to be brave. Lovely illustrations and story. The text is a little awkward, but the story is very sweet. This would be great for younger children (age 3-5) who are shy and anxious about talking to other children.

Thank you NetGalley and Candlewick Press for providing this ARC.

This was such a cute book about being shy and friendship! The illustrations are beautiful and tell the story so well. This is a perfect Halloween read and kids are going to love the cute story and colorful pictures!

Gustavo, the shy Ghost, is just about the cutest little guy I've ever seen - I only wish he had a corporeal body to hug! Gustavo is a pretty normal ghost who loves two things the most in the world - playing his violin and Alma, the prettiest monster in town (who happens to be invisible). Gustavo has a big problem, though, because he's too shy to talk to any of the other monster kids. Until he has an idea to perform his violin and finally make some friends.

This book is a little cheesy and a little predictable but it's message is solid and it is a great Halloween-themed friendship story. The illustrations really improved this book for me, they have a Mexican flair that make them so unique and special.

This is one of the most stunning and gorgeous books I've ever had the pleasure of reading! The story is delightful, and it was really, really touching. I loved the message it gave, of being true to yourself but also being brave and taking chances, that was really well done. The artwork takes the cake though, I have never been as blown away by a picture book as I was by Gustavo, the Shy Ghost.

Required reading if you share works with children, I think they'll like this one. If you're not a kid, pick this one up anyway, it's a cute and heartwarming read, filled with beautiful art.

Thank you Candlewick Press for the Netgalley copy!

This sweet picture book is the story of Gustavo, a ghost who adores playing the violin and wants to be more outgoing with his peers, but it just too painfully shy. When he finally works up the courage to invite them to his concert, they don't show up! But luckily, they just got lost on the way to support him. All ends well for these monstrous pals and newfound friends. The simple premise is very sweet, but avoids unhealthy saccharine levels. The illustrations are gorgeously textured and colored, and carry the story. The story is set around Día de los Muertos, and details like papel picado add even more depth to both the visuals and narrative. A lovely, encouraging picture book with precious details and perfect any time of year.

This was such a wonderful and feel good story book! Gustavo is indeed quite the shy ghost, and his shyness keeps him from joining in with others and making friends, but by being brave and stepping out of the shadows, Gustavo soon realizes that he has just as much to offer as anyone else.

Beautifully illustrated and whimsical, Gustavo, the Shy Ghost is a great pick for young readers everywhere.

A wonderful story about a ghost that is too shy to make friends, but desperately wants to befriend his fellow monster children. This picture-book is cute, heartfelt and the Mexican art-style is a breath of fresh air into the world of picture-books! A detail I also found myself really loving was showing Gustavo's thoughts in a font very similar to the writing of a child. Will really recommend this!

Absolutely excellent picture book with incredibly adorable illustrations. This is likely to be my favorite picture book of 2020. I can't imagine how it could possibly be better!

Pretty much what it says on the tin. This is about a ghost who is too shy to make friends with other creatures of the night and supernatural.'

The pictures are cute, and the creatures are cute, and like little kids.

And like little kids, Gustavo invites them to a concert, and no one shows up, until they do.

I presume this is to show that some kids make mistakes but they are good in the end. It is an odd sort of book, but the pictures are amazingly fun, which is why it gets 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This book was adorable. The illustrations were what initially drew me in but the story was wonderful as well. Great message for kids.