- Picture Books
- Ages 3–6
- Fantasy
Vlad, the Fabulous Vampire
Book 3 of 3 in The World of GustavoView the full series
A fabulous, funny and visually stylish vampire story about hiding what makes you different and learning to be yourself. It is a strong confidence-builder for children who feel self-conscious or out of step.
- Best for3–6
- FormatPicture
- Length40 pp
- Read aloud~8 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Warm
- Funny
- Whimsical
- Heartwarming
- Silly
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Vlad is a vampire, and like all vampires he is supposed to look pale, dark and mysterious. Unfortunately, Vlad has bright pink cheeks, which make him look terribly alive. He loves fashion and tries to hide his rosy secret under elaborate black outfits, but pretending becomes exhausting. When Vlad discovers that a friend has a colourful secret of her own, he starts to wonder whether being different might be less terrible than he feared. Flavia Z. Drago's third core World of Gustavo picture book is full of style, pattern, monster humour and warmth. Its vampire setting is gently spooky rather than frightening, and the emotional message is clear without being heavy: confidence grows when you stop treating your difference as something shameful. A joyful read for children who love dressing up, monsters and self-expression.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 3–6
- Read aloud · 3–7
- Independent · 6–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Excellent
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Bedtime
- Reading together
- 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
- Self acceptance
- Gentle spooky
- Fashion and dressing up
- Confidence story
- Beautiful illustrations
Avoid if
- Very sensitive to vampires
- Wants realistic only
- Wants fast action
Particularly good for children who are…
- Low self esteem
- Making friends
- Anxiety and worry
- Being bullied
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Warm, spooky-cute picture books about shyness and belonging — lovely read-alouds that open talk about being different and making friends.
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 weight is the pink cheeks — Vlad the vampire trying to look pale and brooding while accidentally rosy with life, his elaborate black outfits exhausting to maintain, a friend with her own colourful secret giving him permission to drop the act. The Drago picture book on hiding what's fabulous about you.
- Friendship and belonging
- Magic powers
- Transformation
- Making a difference
Why parents love it
The third World of Gustavo — Drago's pattern-and-style art at full strength, monster-world setting gently spooky rather than scary, confidence-grows-when-you-stop-hiding the gentle message. Joyful read for dressing-up and self-expression lovers.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Cultural representation
- Conversation starter
- Shared humour
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.
Where you’ll find it
On these reading lists.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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