TV Review: Dora the Explorer
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that Dora is a bilingual communicator
who can speak with all of the critters and humans in her
vicinity. Some of the language lessons may rub off on kids --
but other viewers might get bored. Since phrases are constantly
repeated, parents may want to consider whether they want their
kids to be repeating the same episodes all day. The series
offers good exposure to language, culure, and creativity.
Families can talk about the program's repetition -- is it a good learning tool, or does it make the program seem like virtual brainwashing? What do kids think about the show's color and culture?
Common Sense Media Review
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!" Their interactive conversatios with the viewers have kids excited when the goal is finally reached.
Dora the Explorer looks a lot like a preschool video game, and it acts like one too. Dora and Boots are constantly talking directly to the screen and asking the audience in TV land to help them. It's a clever device, because when the characters encourage the viewer to "Say it again, say it again," the viewer compulsively does.
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.
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.
But occasionally the series' lessons are inconsistent, which isn't helpful to the youngest viewers. Learning basic lessons like shapes and colors makes sense for this age group, but throwing in odd-ball things like whales appearing in a river to offer help (why not employ animals who do live in rivers, like beavers?) discredits the program's educational aspect.
All in all, even with its faults, Dora the Explorer is a friendly, fun show for young children to watch and possibly learn from.
Other educational programs offered by Nickelodoen include The Wonder Pets! and a series about Dora's cousin, Go, Diego, Go .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
