My Pal, Victor/ Mi amigo Victor
Written by Diane Gonzales Bertrand
Illustrated by Robert Sweetland
Raven Tree Press, 2004, 32pp
ISBN: 978-0972019293

My Pal, Victor/ Mi amigo Victor is a heartwarming bilingual (Spanish/English) picturebook about two Latino best friends in the U.S. Dominic and Victor enjoy spending time together doing fun activities like swimming, riding roller coasters, and telling scary bedtime stories. Told from Dominic’s perspective, the story highlights the reasons he loves being Victor’s friend including his bravery, kindness, and sense of humor. Only at the end does the reader learn that Victor uses a wheelchair, emphasizing Victor’s personality and abilities before revealing his physical disability. This surprise invites readers to reflect on their own assumptions and challenges them to see individuals for who they are rather than how they move through the world.

This picturebook addresses the social issue of disability inclusion and learning to value people who differ from us. Showing Victor as an average, active child first and a child with a physical disability who uses a wheelchair to move second allows the reader to look beyond stereotypes. Instead of focusing on what Victor cannot do, the book celebrates who he is as a person and friend. It teaches readers to see others for their abilities and personalities, instead of their limitations. This focus helps even the youngest readers understand the importance of kindness, empathy, and including everyone, no matter what their differences.

The illustrations by Robert Sweetland are pen and pencil drawings that detail what the boys are feeling and thinking. He uses both large pictures and smaller thought bubbles to capture the boys’ imaginations, joy, and humor. Sweetland’s colors and lines take the story to the next level.

This book can be read alongside other books to open-up conversation around others who are different from themselves and allow those with visible and invisible disabilities to feel comfortable speaking about their differences and their needs. Susan Laughs (Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross, 2000) is a monolingual story with a similar narrative in that Susan is depicted doing everyday things, only learning about her wheelchair use on the very last page of the book. Just Ask! Be Different, Be Brave, Be You (Sonia Sotomayor and Rafael López, 2019) explores a variety of visible and invisible disabilities and celebrates what makes each unique. Hiya Moriah (Victoria Nelson and Boddz, 2019) shares in a lighthearted way that those with disabilities can still have childhoods that include making friends, going to the park, playing jokes on others, and going to school. Reading these texts together can open meaningful discussions around inclusion, empathy, and how to create spaces where all children feel seen and supported.

Diane Gonzales Bertrand, a San Antonio, Texas native, is currently a professor of English Composition and Creative Writing at St. Mary’s University. Before joining the university, she taught English at both the middle and high school levels. Much of her work centers on culturally rich and inclusive storytelling that reflects her Mexican American heritage and her commitment to diverse representation in children’s literature. You can find out more about the author on the Latino Author Blog and in an interview with Cynthia Leitich-Smith.

Robert Sweetland returned to his passion for illustration after 30 years in the corporate world. He now illustrates books written by his wife, Diane Gonzales Bertrand, and teaches a variety of art mediums at his own art school. This book challenges ableism by showing how children with physical disabilities build joyful, equal friendships when they are seen for who they are and not their limitations.

Janee Chandler, Texas Woman’s University

© 2025 by Janee Chandler