Gustavo, the Shy Ghost by Flavia Z. Drago
Product Details
Web ID: 14601704squee! so cute!
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
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A lovely book!
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!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Lovely Story!
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.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Gustavo is such a sweetheart!
“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.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com