When the spunky, loveable narrator receives a tortoise for her birthday, instead of the cuddly puppy she's longed for her entire life, she's more than a little disappointed. But while her new lump of a pet isn't what she dreamed of, it doesn't take long-between tortoise-on-skateboard walks, sparkly shell makeovers, and a lemonade stand selling chances to hold a real life tortoise-for the little girl to change her mind-sort of. But when her pet goes missing, all she wants is to be reunited with her new best friend.