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What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Joly Herman

DORA THE EXPLORER is about a young girl and her companion, a monkey named Boots, who are always on the go. They travel over rivers and mountains to reach whatever goal has been set for a particular episode. Dora gets help from her trusty talking backpack full of necessary items and her map, which illustrates the obstacles between Dora and her goal. When Dora reaches her destination, she and Boots break out in song and dance, exclaiming "We did it, we did it!"

Is It Any Good?

4

On one hand, Dora is an admirable character with a can-do attitude. On the other hand, the show can seem simplistic -- even for young viewers. Challenges are often similar, which may get a bit monotonous.

Still, the bilingual and cultural aspects of the show are right on target, featuring music, holidays, and plants and animals relevant to Central and South American culture. And Dora often decides to "stop and think" about a problem when she can't immediately solve it, proving her to be a thoughtful, patient heroine.

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