diff --git a/src/array/dictionary/iterator.rs b/src/array/dictionary/iterator.rs
index ae7d6951dd5..cc7bb4d5d31 100644
--- a/src/array/dictionary/iterator.rs
+++ b/src/array/dictionary/iterator.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use crate::array::Array;
 use crate::bitmap::utils::{zip_validity, ZipValidity};
+use crate::scalar::Scalar;
 use crate::trusted_len::TrustedLen;
 
 use super::{DictionaryArray, DictionaryKey};
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ impl<'a, K: DictionaryKey> DictionaryValuesIter<'a, K> {
 }
 
 impl<'a, K: DictionaryKey> Iterator for DictionaryValuesIter<'a, K> {
-    type Item = Box<dyn Array>;
+    type Item = Box<dyn Scalar>;
 
     #[inline]
     fn next(&mut self) -> Option<Self::Item> {
@@ -56,10 +57,10 @@ impl<'a, K: DictionaryKey> DoubleEndedIterator for DictionaryValuesIter<'a, K> {
 }
 
 type ValuesIter<'a, K> = DictionaryValuesIter<'a, K>;
-type ZipIter<'a, K> = ZipValidity<'a, Box<dyn Array>, ValuesIter<'a, K>>;
+type ZipIter<'a, K> = ZipValidity<'a, Box<dyn Scalar>, ValuesIter<'a, K>>;
 
 impl<'a, K: DictionaryKey> IntoIterator for &'a DictionaryArray<K> {
-    type Item = Option<Box<dyn Array>>;
+    type Item = Option<Box<dyn Scalar>>;
     type IntoIter = ZipIter<'a, K>;
 
     fn into_iter(self) -> Self::IntoIter {
diff --git a/src/array/dictionary/mod.rs b/src/array/dictionary/mod.rs
index d63d82bccb2..1d911a440b7 100644
--- a/src/array/dictionary/mod.rs
+++ b/src/array/dictionary/mod.rs
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ use std::sync::Arc;
 use crate::{
     bitmap::Bitmap,
     datatypes::DataType,
+    scalar::{new_scalar, Scalar},
     types::{NativeType, NaturalDataType},
 };
 
@@ -90,11 +91,11 @@ impl<K: DictionaryKey> DictionaryArray<K> {
         &self.values
     }
 
-    /// Returns the values of the [`DictionaryArray`].
+    /// Returns the value of the [`DictionaryArray`] at position `i`.
     #[inline]
-    pub fn value(&self, index: usize) -> Box<dyn Array> {
+    pub fn value(&self, index: usize) -> Box<dyn Scalar> {
         let index = self.keys.value(index).to_usize().unwrap();
-        self.values.clone().slice(index, 1)
+        new_scalar(self.values.as_ref(), index)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/array/equal/dictionary.rs b/src/array/equal/dictionary.rs
index d1e91fcc9e9..8c879ff8370 100644
--- a/src/array/equal/dictionary.rs
+++ b/src/array/equal/dictionary.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,14 @@
 use crate::array::{Array, DictionaryArray, DictionaryKey};
 
 pub(super) fn equal<K: DictionaryKey>(lhs: &DictionaryArray<K>, rhs: &DictionaryArray<K>) -> bool {
-    lhs.data_type() == rhs.data_type() && lhs.len() == rhs.len() && lhs.iter().eq(rhs.iter())
+    if !(lhs.data_type() == rhs.data_type() && lhs.len() == rhs.len()) {
+        return false;
+    };
+
+    // if x is not valid and y is but its child is not, the slots are equal.
+    lhs.iter().zip(rhs.iter()).all(|(x, y)| match (&x, &y) {
+        (None, Some(y)) => !y.is_valid(),
+        (Some(x), None) => !x.is_valid(),
+        _ => x == y,
+    })
 }
diff --git a/tests/it/array/equal/dictionary.rs b/tests/it/array/equal/dictionary.rs
index c93a62a64c6..8ae82e7d691 100644
--- a/tests/it/array/equal/dictionary.rs
+++ b/tests/it/array/equal/dictionary.rs
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ use arrow2::array::*;
 
 use super::test_equal;
 
-fn create_dictionary_array(values: &[&str], keys: &[Option<i16>]) -> DictionaryArray<i16> {
+fn create_dictionary_array(values: &[Option<&str>], keys: &[Option<i16>]) -> DictionaryArray<i16> {
     let keys = Int16Array::from(keys);
-    let values = Utf8Array::<i32>::from_slice(values);
+    let values = Utf8Array::<i32>::from(values);
 
     DictionaryArray::from_data(keys, Arc::new(values))
 }
@@ -14,45 +14,86 @@ fn create_dictionary_array(values: &[&str], keys: &[Option<i16>]) -> DictionaryA
 #[test]
 fn dictionary_equal() {
     // (a, b, c), (0, 1, 0, 2) => (a, b, a, c)
-    let a = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "b", "c"], &[Some(0), Some(1), Some(0), Some(2)]);
+    let a = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("b"), Some("c")],
+        &[Some(0), Some(1), Some(0), Some(2)],
+    );
     // different representation (values and keys are swapped), same result
-    let b = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "c", "b"], &[Some(0), Some(2), Some(0), Some(1)]);
+    let b = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("c"), Some("b")],
+        &[Some(0), Some(2), Some(0), Some(1)],
+    );
     test_equal(&a, &b, true);
 
     // different len
-    let b = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "c", "b"], &[Some(0), Some(2), Some(1)]);
+    let b = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("c"), Some("b")],
+        &[Some(0), Some(2), Some(1)],
+    );
     test_equal(&a, &b, false);
 
     // different key
-    let b = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "c", "b"], &[Some(0), Some(2), Some(0), Some(0)]);
+    let b = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("c"), Some("b")],
+        &[Some(0), Some(2), Some(0), Some(0)],
+    );
     test_equal(&a, &b, false);
 
     // different values, same keys
-    let b = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "b", "d"], &[Some(0), Some(1), Some(0), Some(2)]);
+    let b = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("b"), Some("d")],
+        &[Some(0), Some(1), Some(0), Some(2)],
+    );
     test_equal(&a, &b, false);
 }
 
 #[test]
 fn dictionary_equal_null() {
     // (a, b, c), (1, 2, 1, 3) => (a, b, a, c)
-    let a = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "b", "c"], &[Some(0), None, Some(0), Some(2)]);
+    let a = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("b"), Some("c")],
+        &[Some(0), None, Some(0), Some(2)],
+    );
 
     // equal to self
     test_equal(&a, &a, true);
 
     // different representation (values and keys are swapped), same result
-    let b = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "c", "b"], &[Some(0), None, Some(0), Some(1)]);
+    let b = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("c"), Some("b")],
+        &[Some(0), None, Some(0), Some(1)],
+    );
     test_equal(&a, &b, true);
 
     // different null position
-    let b = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "c", "b"], &[Some(0), Some(2), Some(0), None]);
+    let b = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("c"), Some("b")],
+        &[Some(0), Some(2), Some(0), None],
+    );
     test_equal(&a, &b, false);
 
     // different key
-    let b = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "c", "b"], &[Some(0), None, Some(0), Some(0)]);
+    let b = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("c"), Some("b")],
+        &[Some(0), None, Some(0), Some(0)],
+    );
     test_equal(&a, &b, false);
 
     // different values, same keys
-    let b = create_dictionary_array(&["a", "b", "d"], &[Some(0), None, Some(0), Some(2)]);
+    let b = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("b"), Some("d")],
+        &[Some(0), None, Some(0), Some(2)],
+    );
     test_equal(&a, &b, false);
+
+    // different nulls in keys and values
+    let a = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("b"), None],
+        &[Some(0), None, Some(0), Some(2)],
+    );
+    let b = create_dictionary_array(
+        &[Some("a"), Some("b"), Some("c")],
+        &[Some(0), None, Some(0), None],
+    );
+    test_equal(&a, &b, true);
 }