Dora's World Adventure! (by Various Artists, Children's Music)

The beloved Dora is back again on DORA'S WORLD ADVENTURE, with a cheery collection of kids' songs from such countries as Argentina, France, Ghana, Russia, Italy, Israel, and China. For backup, the album brings in some unconventional instruments such as the accordion and African drums. Most of the tunes are sung by Dora and her friends from the television series, Boots and Backpack. There are much-welcomed adult guest vocals from Aaron Neville on "Iko Iko" and Ziggy Marley on "Three Little Birds." Several interactive songs, such as "Jumbo," encourage kids to repeat simple phrases ("Hello hello/Hello hello/Everybody hello/Everybody hello").

The performers on Dora's World Adventure! are silly and fun -- and actually have pleasant enough voices as well. And, just like in the television series, this CD does a good job at getting your kid excited about learning new languages and making new friends. Unlike many kids' albums, parents probably won't want to fast forward through every song on this one. You may find yourself singing along with the highly catchy lyrics -- even if you don't know the words of the songs sung in different languages. (Dora does sing the English translation along with the foreign language to help kids understand the music and learn new words.)