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Dora the Explorer: Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 0, age appropriate for kids over 0; suggested age 3.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0

  • Common Sense says

    Sweet Dora holiday movie sprinkled with Latin flavor.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 3 and Up

The good stuff

  • Educational value:

    As always in Dora's world, there are Spanish phrases and words introduced alongside English words. Kids will pick up on these, as well as simple counting and color recognition lessons and examples of grace and courtesy. The interactive quality of the movie can be a little strange at first, since the characters pause to "listen" to the viewer's responses, but the rhymes that are factored into some of the fill-in-the blanks makes this aspect more fun.

  • Messages:

    Dora and her friends help Swiper get off of Santa's "Naughty List" and onto his "Good List." If he does not succeed, he will not get any Christmas presents. Santa tells Dora that she is a very good friend to Swiper, since she helps him to reform his selfish ways.

  • Role models:

    Santa is a man of color in this feature. Santa also sets boundaries and gives praise (and metes out punishment, when he withholds presents) for those who behave or misbehave.
 

What to watch out for

  • Consumerism:

    Lots of presents for Dora and her friends. Presents include a baseball mitt, a rocking horse, a set of bongos, and a stuffed bunny. Swiper is told that if he doesn't behave, that he will not get any presents at all.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Dora the Explorer: Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure

Parents need to know that this addition to the Dora collection features a multi-ethnic cast of traditional Christmas characters. Santa speaks some Spanish and has brown skin. Dora and her friends celebrate Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve, with a table of baked goodies and candies. They also exchange gifts, sing, and dance. There's no real religious leaning here, but Christmas is the only holiday mentioned.

Read our full review by Joly Herman

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the images associated with Christmas. How does Santa look in your mind? Is this Santa different than the Santa you know?
  • What family traditions do you share during the holidays? Do you eat special foods? Do you sing special songs? Do you give presents? Are these family rituals that have been handed down? What is your favorite holiday ritual and why?
  • Swiper steals, or "swipes" things from his friends. Why does he feel compelled to do this? Have you ever "swiped" anything? Why is stealing wrong?
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