- Board Books
- Ages 1–4
- Comedy
Monsters Play... Hide-and-Seek!
Book 3 of 3 in The World of GustavoView the full series
A forthcoming lift-the-flap Gustavo-world board book built around hide-and-seek with Gustavo, Buster and other monsters. It should work as a toddler-friendly spin-off rather than a main-series picture book entry.
- Best for1–4
- FormatBoard
- Length18 pp
- Read aloud~3 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Repetitive
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Silly
- Warm
- Whimsical
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Gustavo and his ghost dog Buster invite very young readers into a monster game of hide-and-seek. Across the book, children lift flaps and look in funny places, windows, wardrobes, showers and fridges, to find familiar and new creatures from the World of Gustavo. Like the earlier spin-off board books, this is not designed as a full narrative picture book. Its value is interactive: counting, searching, lifting, spotting characters and enjoying Flavia Z. Drago's bright monster design in a sturdy toddler format. Because it is listed for 2026 publication, the taxonomy should be reviewed once finished copies and broader reader responses are available. Based on current publisher-style copy, it belongs as a spin-off/tie-in for babies and toddlers, especially useful around Halloween or as a gift for families already attached to Gustavo.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 1–4
- Read aloud · 1–4
- Independent · 3–5
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
4 / 5 · Good fit
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Forthcoming title
- Baby board book
- Lift the flap
- Hide and seek book
- Gentle spooky
Avoid if
- Needs available now
- Wants full story
- Wants older picture book
Particularly good for children who are…
- Starting nursery or preschool
- Nightmares or fears
- Bedtime battles
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Bright, rhyming monster board books — made for reading aloud and joining in with the very youngest.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the wardrobes and fridges — Gustavo and Buster the ghost dog inviting children into a hide-and-seek game, flaps to lift across windows and showers and odd places, monsters and a counting-to-five count waiting underneath. The toddler Gustavo for the Halloween shelf.
- Friendship and belonging
- Secret world
- Magic powers
Why parents love it
The newest Drago board book — lift-the-flap hide-and-seek with Gustavo and Buster, interactive rather than narrative, sturdy toddler format. Strong Halloween-adjacent gift; forthcoming so taxonomy provisional.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Quick to read
- Shared humour
- Bedtime appropriate
In the series
The World of Gustavo.
3 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Flavia Z. Drago.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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