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. Creo que cualquier niñe puede identificarse con Gustavo-- yo pude, y tengo (casi) 25. A veces hacer amigues es difícil y las interacciones sociales nos llenan de ansiedad, pero si nuestras intenciones son buenas y nos cruzamos con buena gente, podemos llegar a tener amistades increíbles y llenas de aventuras. I created several activities for students to practice retelling the beginning, middle, and end, story elements, and sequence the story.

Utterly beautiful in design and execution, Gustavo tells the story of a little Mexican ghost who doesn't know how to make friends. It doesn't help that those he'd like to spend time with him never seem to notice him - but this is what happens when you're a ghost. Perhaps if he calls upon his passion for violin playing out in the local graveyard, others will be drawn to his music and feelings. Gustavo tells that universal story of the nervousness of finding friends and fitting in - albeit with a cast of retro mini-monsters and incorporeal characters. Then, show the students the picture of Gustavo our ghost. He is shy and needs help meeting new friends. Let’s make some introductions. Hold up one icon card and have students identify the beginning sound of each part of the name and then place it near Gustavo. Continue until all icon cards have been used.This is a fantasy story with supernatural elements as Gustavo is a ghost. Gustavo is incredibly shy, so he has a hard time making friends. One day, he decides to be brave and invite all of his monster friends to his violin concert on Día de los Muertos. This small gesture of friendship completely changes Gustavo’s life. Mat: With this in mind, another thing that I adored about the book was the celebration of the Day of the Dead. Throughout the whole story, there was an authentic sense of someone knowing and celebrating Mexican culture and the vernacular. Can you tell us a little bit about this? 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! Variation: Identify the middle or ending sounds of each icon name card. Get Your Printable Gustavo the Shy Ghost Activity It hits such an important skill..making friends! So many times, our students and kids at home don’t know HOW to make friends. We spend a lot of time talking about being a good friend, but many students need direct instruction on how to introduce themselves, and how to make connections with those around them.

One day Gustavo has an idea. He writes a letter to the other monsters inviting them to his Day of the Dead concert which he is holding in the cemetery where he will play his violin for them and hopefully they will like it and become his friend. But will his plan work?I loved the town and the people who lived there. Permanent Halloween Town? Sign me up! It seems like such a wonderful and spooky place to live and I had fun seeing who lived there. From invisible girls to werewolves to witches and pumpkin people. It was a delight. Mexican-born author/illustrator Drago sweetly captures the angst-y little ghost’s perpetual perturbation...Iconic images of Mexican culture cleverly pepper the scenery. With the papel picado banners, panes de muerto, and Catrinas, Drago provides a festive environment for Gustavo’s laments. Decorated skulls peek out from around every corner; even the family goldfish is a smiling skeleton. This ghostly tale proves that anyone can have a happily-ever-after. Mexican-born author/illustrator Drago sweetly captures the angst-y little ghost’s perpetual perturbation…Iconic images of Mexican culture cleverly pepper the scenery. With the papel picado banners, panes de muerto, and Catrinas, Drago provides a festive environment for Gustavo’s laments. Decorated skulls peek out from around every corner; even the family goldfish is a smiling skeleton. This ghostly tale proves that anyone can have a happily-ever-after. Some of the things that happened to Gustavo were based on some of my own experiences. When I was in kindergarten – just like Gustavo – I sat by myself during lunch breaks, watching children play while being amazed by the fact that they seemed to be completely happy to talk and play with each other. I also remember being very nervous about having to ask for stuff in a shop, or raise my hand in class, or phoning, but even if I have gotten better, big parties still make me nervous. Gustavo is a ghost, a very, very shy ghost. He doesn’t know how to make friends with the other monsters and feels like no one can ever see him. What he does like is playing his violin.

The judges call her book ‘a visual treat’ and admire the way it’s full of detail but never cluttered. Mat: I loved how you tapped into that sense of shyness and reluctance to approach others that can affect children (and adults). Was the idea behind the story largely based on your own childhood and why was this an important message for you to share? This winning debut picture book from Mexican artist Flavia Z. Drago about finding the courage to make friends is perfect for the spooky season -- or anytime. Born and raised in Mexico City, Drago fills her sweet ghost story with vibrant colors, textures, and authentic details from Mexican culture. Her illustrations burst with whimsical flourishes and clever details that youngsters will want to pore over repeatedly. While ideal for Day of the Dead, this heartwarming story about bravely taking the first step toward friendship is wonderful for little listeners year-round.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. Meet Gustavo, he is a very spooky ghost with a lot of ghostly talents, but he has one big problem… he is very very very shy. In this book we see that he does try, but little dude, they are just not going to see you if you aren’t yourself (being a balloon or a lamp is just not something that stands out). I was cheering for him to step up, to be brave, to do something, because it seems that he has some very interesting classmates that may just be the friends he wants. I was so delighted to see him devise a plan that would make him stand out. I won’t tell you what his plan is, but I can tell you this, it was a great plan. It combines something he loves with something he is good at. I have to say when the plan was set in motion that I was a bit saddened… this couldn’t be how it ended, right?? And thankfully it didn’t and instead I just had a big grin on my face. Mexican artist Drago’s picture book debut offers a gentle friendship tale and folk-art-style, textural mixed-media pictures. 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.

Shy ghost Gustavo loves doing ghostly things like passing through walls and making things fly. He also loves playing the violin. However, poor Gustavo is terribly shy. He struggles to make friends with the other monsters. Although he tries his best to get close to them, they never see him. One day, he musters up the courage and invites them to a violin concert at the Day of the Dead party. Will Gustavo finally be able to show the other little monsters who he really is?Have you read Gustavo the Shy Ghost yet? This is SUCH a sweet book by Flavia Z. Drago. Gustavo is a shy ghost who tries so hard to make friends and get the other monsters to notice him. He does all type of silly things to get them to “see” him, but nothing works. He finally decides to have a violin concert, and sends out invitations to the other monsters. Gustavo “glows” when he plays the violin, and he keeps playing even though he thinks no one is coming to his show. Eventually, the other monsters show up and explained they were late because they got lost. Gustavo’s light helped them find the concert, and he finally has a group of friends to spend his time with. The book ends by sharing all the special ways Gustavo helps and supports his friends. The story is simple with clear story elements. This is a great book for retelling, because the story events and story elements (character, setting, problem and solution) are clear and easy to identify as students practice these skills. 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. This winning debut picture book from Mexican artist Flavia Z. Drago about finding the courage to make friends is perfect for the spooky season — or anytime.