Celebrate Day of the Dead With 'Gustavo, The Shy Ghost'

Mexican-born author and illustrator Flavia Z. Drago sweetly captures the perturbation of a little ghost in the picture book "Gustavo, The Shy Ghost," now a #1 New York Times bestseller.

In "Gustavo, The Shy Ghost," the fun and distinct work filled with references to Mexican culture, readers are introduced to Gustavo. He is a ghost good at all things ghosts do: walking through walls, making other objects fly, and glowing in the dark. Most of all, he loves nothing more than to play his beautiful music on the violin. However, the titular ghost is shy, and he finds difficulty in doing other things like getting in line to buy "eye scream" or making friends with the other creatures.

Whenever Gustavo tries to get close to the other monsters, he realizes that the others can't see him. Now that the Day of the Dead is fast approaching, the little ghost has to find a way to get others to notice him — and give him an opportunity to share with them the one thing he loves.

The book, intended for children and the young at heart, contains fancifully detailed artwork and wholesome visual humor. This Flavia Z. Drago debut picture-book creation is filled with vivid illustrations to tell a sweet and gently offbeat tale of bravery, loneliness, and friendship sure to be a treat for little children everywhere.

About Flavia Z. Drago

Born and raised in Mexico City, Drago began her career as a graphic designer and a children's book illustrator. In a press release for "Gustavo, The Shy Ghost," she explains having the idea in 2016, writing tweets about how her life would be if she were a monster. She even had a tweet explaining that ghosts wear sheets because they must be shy — planting the idea of what would be "Gustavo, The Shy Ghost."

In 2018, she received a master's degree in children's book illustration from Anglia Ruskin University, which gave her the opportunity to work with people from Walker Books and Candlewick Press. The people she worked with gave her total creative freedom and even encouraged her to set her story in Mexico during the Day of the Dead, resulting in a fun and culturally-rich work.