Gustavo, the Shy Ghost

THE WINNER OF THE KLAUS FLUGGE PRIZE 2021

A #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

"A great story about making friends by being yourself and the illustrations are a constant visual delight" Malorie Blackman

A brilliantly original, award-winning Halloween story perfect for children aged 3-5 who love friendly monsters and ghost stories, with gentle themes of shyness, courage, finding confidence, overcoming loneliness and being true to yourself.

Gustavo is a ghost. He is good at doing all sorts of paranormal things, like walking through walls, making objects fly and glowing in the dark. And he loves playing beautiful music on his violin. But Gustavo also has a problem. He is SHY. Which means some things are harder for him to do, like getting in a line to buy eye-scream or talking to the other monsters. But Gustavo longs to be a part of something, he longs to be seen. More than anything, he wants to make a friend. So, plucking up all his courage, he sends a very special letter: “Dear Monsters, I would like to invite you to my violin concert at the Day of the Dead party…”

With exquisite detail and humour, Flavia Z. Drago’s vivid illustrations tell a sweet and offbeat story of friendship and courage.

“Terrific illustrations.” The Irish Independent

“This sweet and spooky tale of friendship makes a quirky Halloween pick.” Bookseller