"Manuelita la tortuga" (; Spanish for "Manuelita the turtle") is a children's song by Argentine writer and musician María Elena Walsh, first recorded by Leda y María—her duo with Leda Valladares—and included in their 1962 EP Doña Disparate y Bambuco. It tells the story of a female turtle from the rural town of Pehuajó, who travels to Paris to undergo beauty treatments after falling in love.
In its native country it is a well-known children's song."María Elena Walsh cumplirá 75 años ." La Gaceta. January 30, 2005.
In 1997, Walsh released the children's book Manuelita ¿Dónde vas?, which expanded the story of the character. The 1999 animation film Manuelita was adapted from the song.Graeber, Laurel. "A Magical Childhood." The New York Times. Retrieved on December 8, 2008.
A French version of the song was written and made famous by Argentine singer Jairo.
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