Dora the Explorer is an animated series for preschool-age children that is broadcast on the Nickelodeon TV channel in the United States. It premiered in 2000.

It tells the story of Dora, a young Latina girl (voiced by a young Latina named Kathleen Herles ) and her sidekick Boots, a talking monkey, who venture forth on various simple but important quests. Some more recently produced episodes have introduced Dora's cousin Diego (Felipe Dieppa ), an intrepid young animal rescue worker, as a partner in the adventures. He has proved popular enough that Nickeloeon has plans to introduce a separate Diego series for the 2005-2006 season. The episodes are used to demonstrate and practice skills such as decision-making, following directions, math skills, music, physical coordination, and Anglo-Spanish bilingualism. The show features a number of anthropomorphic props, notably Dora's backpack and map, as well as railroad trains and automobiles with speaking roles.

Dora the Explorer is currently still being produced. Dora and her companions are the subject of numerous books and other merchandise for children. The show is generally in English, although it is peppered with simple Spanish phrases in an effort to give young viewers a more realistic (albeit limited) experience of contemporary U.S. society.

Spanish dub

Similarly, a Spanish language version can be seen in Latin America and other Spanish speaking areas, both on cable and antenna stations. The use of Spanish and English here is inverted, with some animals, for example, speaking and responding to English phrases.

External link

• Dora area on NickJr.com