Just Be Yourself.

Gustavo, the Shy Ghost
Written & Illustrated by Flavia Z. Drago
Age Level: 4-8 Years
Published July 14, 2020

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This guy would never ghost you. Well, not figuratively.

Gustavo is a very shy ghost who desperately wants to make friends. His greatest joy is playing the violin, which he does beautifully, so he takes a big risk and invites all of the monsters to a concert at the upcoming Day of the Dead party. He wins them over with his beautiful, heartfelt music and from that day on he’s never lonely again.

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

I really appreciate that Gustavo finally makes friends when he stops trying to blend into the background and instead leans into his true self. It’s such a fantastic message, conveyed in beautifully subtle storytelling.

I am thrilled that this is an “own voices” book written by Latinx author-illustrator Flavia Z. Drago (it’s also available in Spanish!). She imbues so much authenticity into the book, beautifully honoring and evoking the Mexican holiday of Día de los Muertos with the reference to papel picado (elaborately cut tissue paper) in the cover design, calaveras (decorated skulls) peeking out on the pages, and her use of vibrant colors.

I’m always looking for ways to add cultural diversity to our bookshelves and we are delighted by this fabulous and festive new addition.

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