WHAT MAKES A TURTLE SO SMART is based on a true story about a turtle that was put in a car and taken off by the garden owner when it was found eating the strawberries. Before the turtle was taken away the second or third time, close to 1 mile away, Ms Nellie painted a red X on the shell to see if it was the same one that came back. Sure enough, it was the same turtle This time she decided to let it stay in her garden undisturbed. I only imagined the experiences the turtle encountered in the trips he made back to the garden. This is a learning lesson for children. The determination of this turtle to return to the garden can be used to show how determination to reach a goal in life can result in success. It also shows how sharing, as Ms Nellie does in the story, is really the right thing to do.