Dora the Explorer: Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure (NR)

A very nice respite from the heavy-handed takes on the Christmas Carol that proliferate at holiday season. Not only are young viewers learning about Christmas rituals celebrated in the Latin world (oh those dulces look delicious!), but there are solid lessons about sharing and being a good friend. How can anyone really resist Swiper, what with his funny smile and his willingness to attend to his character flaws? Some parents might find the "Naughty List" concept a little stringent, but Swiper is motivated to clean up his act in order to get a present.

But as with other Dora productions, there tends to be an emphasis on words that are not really used in proper vocabulary. To "swipe" something is not necessarily to steal a thing, in a true sense. Instead, it's a slang version of a word that has been turned into a verb for the sake of the movie. And as there are educational components to the programming, the educational slant should be consistent throughout, so that parents can trust that their kids are learning something real -- not something made up as a rhyme or a convenience.