It's time to prepare for the school Spanish spelling bee, and Manolo is determined to take home the grand prize. Naturally, he turns to his loving abuela for help and together they spell the words: H-e-r-m-o-s-o. Beautiful. O-r-g-u-l-l-o-s-o. Proud. F-u-e-r-t-e. Strong. While they practice, Abuela shares stories of when she was a little girl. Back then, students were not permitted to speak Spanish in public school and were harshly treated for doing so. Hearing these stories inspires Manolo to study even harder. An empowering intergenerational story of family ties, cultural pride, and healing, illustrated with vibrancy and warmth by three-time Pura Belpré Honoree John Parra, this story includes information on the history of the National Spanish Spelling Bee, the prohibition on speaking Spanish in public schools, and the Spanish alphabet.

A young boy bonds with his beloved abuela over a love of Spanish.