My Pal, Victor / Mi amigo, Víctor flows agreeably in both languages . . . Sweetland is a master of shading and using light to create depth in his illustrations. His images of childhood are recognizable to people of all ages . . . a flashlight shines on Victor's face as he tells the ghost stories, with a full yellow moon reflecting behind an old owl in the big tree outside the window . . . My Pal, Victor is a family- oriented book perfect for children aged five to eight. It is a simple story, told in simple words, weaving a tale of the value of a good friendship, in any language, in any culture, and with any physical ability.
. . . Victor has a disability which would cause most people to end the book with a comment that they like Victor just the way he is, but the author turns this philosophy on its head when Dominic says that the most important thing about Victor is that he accepts Dominic just the way he is. What a wonderful conclusion and a great way to teach perspective. My Pal Victor is a recommended read.
. . . Parents and teachers will want to introduce this bilingual picture book [My Pal, Victor / Mi amigo, Víctor] to their children to teach them about social awareness through a story about friendship. It reminds the reader that it is what's inside that matters . . . The vivid illustrations capture the children's innocence . . .
. . . Each page, beautifully illustrated by Bob Sweetland, describes their adventures, as Dominic tells why he likes his pal Victor. Completely bilingual, the text appears in English first, followed by the Spanish version, with a handy vocabulary page at the end. At the conclusion of the book, the reader discovers that Victor is in a wheelchair. It's such a gentle treatment of the disability, that it's quite incidental to the story that will appeal to kids ages four to eight . . . It's an admirable book that deserves a place in any child's library.
—Barbara Higdon
My Pal, Victor/Mi amigo, Victor is a beautiful and insightful portrait of true friendship. The book is about two boys, Victor and Dominic, who enjoy a variety of typical activities including storytelling, baseball, riddles, swimming, roller coasters, coloring, fishing, and playing in the park. Victor tells the funniest jokes, swims better than a fish, loves the wildest amusement park rides, claps the loudest for his friend at baseball games, and above all accepts Dominic just as he is. The typicality of their relationship becomes something more profound when we learn that Victor is disabled and lives his open-hearted, fully active life from a wheelchair. The writing is unique and full of movement. For example, the author describes scary ghost tales as "heart-booming stories" in which even "goose bumps get scared." The Spanish text is paralleled throughout and is just as exciting. A bilingual vocabulary list is included. The illustrations are bright, colorful and active, underscoring the author's message. All the elements of this book work together to provide children and adults with a story that is both heartwarming and thought provoking. 2004, Raven Tree Press, Ages 5 up.
—Michelle Negron Bueno
K-Gr 2-Pedestrian prose and amateurish illustrations mar this treatment of friendship despite disabilities. Dominic's friend, Victor, may not walk, but he's far from disabled. He is not only a source of support, but a limit-pushing, life-expanding influence. Always ready with an imaginative story, a sidesplitting joke, or one more terrifying ride at the amusement park, Victor cheers Dominic on at softball games and admires his swimming ability. The closing twist reads: "But, the most important thing about my pal, Victor, is that he likes me just the way I am." This is paired with a picture showing one boy in a wheelchair. Libraries will be better served by Fred Rogers's Extraordinary Friends (Putnam, 2000) or Laura Dwight's We Can Do It! (Star Bright, 1998). Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
