Dora the Explorer - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Dora the Explorer is an American animated television series created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh, and Eric Weiner. Dora the Explorer became a regular series in 2000. The show is carried on the Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon (TV channel)

Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...

cable television

Cable television

Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...

network, including the associated Nick Jr. channel. It aired on CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

until September 2006. A Spanish-dubbed version first aired as part of a Nick en español block on NBC Universal

NBC Universal

NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...

-owned Telemundo

Telemundo

Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....

through September 2006; since April 2008, this version of the program has been carried on Univision

Univision

Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...

as part of the Planeta U
Planeta U
Planeta U , usually called Tu Planeta U , is a three hour block of children's programming that airs on Saturday mornings on the Spanish language Univision network. Debuting on April 5, 2008, Planeta U features programming that comply with federal E/I content rules as mandated by the Federal...

block.

Dora Marquez

Dora, the main character, is a 8 Year old girl who embarks on a trip in every episode in order to find something or help somebody. She asks the viewers at home to help her find new ways to reach places with the help of Map. She also teaches viewers Spanish, introducing them to short words and phrases.

Dora has a positive view of the characters she meets, failing even to hold a grudge against the mischievous fox, Swiper, who continually attempts to steal items from her party. She acts against villains only when it seems that compromise is impossible, and even in these cases, fails to display actual anger

Anger

Anger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....

. She gives others a chance to try their hands at tasks even when she herself might have an easier time with them. Dora values her family, whom she loves openly, though she spends little time indoors at home with them. She tries to introduce her traditions and customs, subtly and without compulsion, to those who are not familiar with them.

Dora is fond of Boots, who became her best friend when she saved his beloved red boots from being swiped by Swiper.

Dora enjoys sports. She played on a baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

team with Boots and her other friends and was coached

Coach (baseball)

In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, or head coach, who determines the lineup and decides how to substitute players during the game...

by her father (who has never been depicted as having other employment). She loves and excels at soccer

Football (soccer)

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...

. Dora is also a musician, skilled at playing a wooden flute.

The character was voiced by Kathleen Herles

Kathleen Herles

Kathleen Herles is an American voice actress, best known for being the original voice of Dora in Dora the Explorer....

until she was replaced by Caitlin Sanchez

Caitlin Sanchez

Caitlin Sanchez is an American actress, best known for the voice of the title character Dora in the Nickelodeon animated series for children Dora the Explorer.-Background:...

.

Dora is a Latina

Latino

The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...

. Early concepts of Dora had her as a blond girl of European ancestry. The character was originally based on a niece, Lilli, of Rick Velleu, one of the creators of the show.

Boots the Monkey

Boots, the 5-year-old monkey

Monkey

A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...

whom Dora met one day in the forest, is her best friend. He is friendly and enthusiastic, and usually wears nothing but his beloved red boot

Boot

A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....

s, hence his name. He is light blue with a yellow stomach. His parents look similar, with variations in eyes, height, clothing and fur.

Boots is present with Dora on most of her adventures, and he helps her solve clues and puzzles. He also loves baseball

Baseball

and is on Dora's team. He enjoys riding Rojo the fire truck

Fire apparatus

A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...

.

Boots is athletic and energetic. He performs a series of acrobatic flips

Flip (acrobatic)

An acrobatic flip is a sequence of body movements in which a person leaps into the air and then rotates one or more times while airborne. Acrobatic flips are performed in acro dance, free running, gymnastics, tricking, and various other activities...

, somersaults

Gymnastics

Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...

, and cartwheels

Gymnastics

along the way to their destination. His light weight also makes him easy to carry, even for Dora.

Without guidance from Dora, the viewer, or another character, Boots is quick to take his own, often dangerous or dead-ended, route. Dora often acts as the voice of reason.

Boots "loves" many things. In one episode, he would say many times "I love riddle

Riddle

A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: enigmas, which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution, and...

s. Call me 'Mr. Riddles'" or "I love nuts

Nut (fruit)

A nut is a hard-shelled fruit of some plants having an indehiscent seed. While a wide variety of dried seeds and fruits are called nuts in English, only a certain number of them are considered by biologists to be true nuts...

, I love chocolate

Chocolate

Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...

, I love my ball

Ball

A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling...

, and I love, love, love...". Most importantly, however, Boots loves Dora and Dora loves him back, as expressed verbally and physically in numerous episodes. His devotion and love always has Boots more than willing to drop whatever he is doing at the moment for Dora. For her sake, he has even engaged in adventures on his own, assisted by the viewers.

Boots' vocabulary is limited but steadily increasing. Dora teaches him Spanish through memorable songs and phrases.

Boots was voiced by Harrison Chad in the original English version and then, from season five onwards, by Regan Mizrahi

Regan Mizrahi

Regan Mizrahi is an American child actor. Born in Northern New Jersey, he got his start doing commercials while he was still in diapers. He is one of three kids in show business and the son of an actress and a doctor. He is the great grandson of radio star Nat Hale...

Swiper the Fox

Swiper is a sneaky fox

Fox

Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...

in a blue mask

Mask

A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, disguise, performance or entertainment. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes...

and glove

Glove

A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each...

s, who is the antagonist

Antagonist

An antagonist is a character, group of characters, or institution, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend...

of the TV series and appears in nearly every episode. He is voiced by Marc Weiner

Marc Weiner

Marc Weiner is an American comedian, clown, puppeteer, and television producer. Born into the Weiner family as the middle child between his brothers Jonas and Jess, Has 3 children, Rebecca who is married to Yerucham Pliner, Max who is a successful musician and Sara who is very pretty...

. As his name implies, Swiper steals or attempts to steal key items that help Dora on her adventures. Clever as he is, Swiper never manages to take Dora completely by surprise; an ominous "whisking" sound is always audible just prior to his appearances.

To prevent Swiper from success, Dora must repeat the phrase, "Swiper, no swiping!" three times. Usually she prevails, and Swiper slinks away, snapping his fingers and saying, "Oh, man!"; sometimes, however, Swiper gets to the item before Dora has a chance to repeat the phrase. He then gloats, "You're too late!," and frequently states "You'll never find it now! Ha, ha, ha!!," as he throws the item away.

Swiper's motive for theft is patently childish; he never seems actually to want the object he takes, since he almost immediately throws it away to hide it from Dora (prompting her to ask the audience to help her find it). Until recently, it was unclear if he swipes merely for the joy of swiping

Kleptomania

Kleptomania is an irresistible urge to steal items of trivial value. People with this disorder are compelled to steal things, generally, but not limited to, objects of little or no significant value, such as pens, paper clips, paper and tape...

, or from a desire to annoy and frustrate Dora. Compounding the confusion is the fact that, given the right reason, for example, that the item in question is a present for Dora's puppy

Puppy

A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies may weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier...

, he will return items he has taken, no matter how much effort he went through to get them. It is also shown that he rarely knows the full importance of what he has taken; for example, he had no idea the aforementioned gift was for Dora's puppy. In the episode "Dora Saves the Mermaids", he revealed that he "liked swiping." He has some kind of New York

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

accent, and lives in a burrow

Burrow

A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...

on top of Blueberry Hill.

Swiper is very fast and agile, and something of a master of disguise. He seems to have a great deal of technical knowledge, as he has built a variety of vehicles and gadgets (including a remote-controlled

Remote control

A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...

robot

Robot

A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...

butterfly

Butterfly

A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...

) to help him swipe things. Most of the time, however, he simply relies on his natural stalking abilities (sometimes with the aid of a costume) to sneak up on Dora. In the early episodes he often "hid" by curling up into a ball, which neither Dora nor Boots ever recognized as Swiper; he apparently does not do this anymore.

He has only been seen once or twice without his mask, when the robot butterfly he built to swipe from Dora and Boots (in the episode "Dora's Got a Puppy") apparently malfunctioned; after they stopped the robot butterfly, it swiped his mask and gloves and kept them from him for a few humorous seconds.

None of Swiper's relatives has ever been seen, but his grandmother has been mentioned in two episodes: "A Letter For Swiper" and "Swiper the Explorer."

Over the course of the series, it is shown that there is more to Swiper's character than an urge to swipe things. In one episode it was revealed that Swiper has a soft spot for puppies, and in another that he likes Cowboy cookies. In a few episodes, he expresses feelings of joy with a fox-like cry of, "Yip-yip-yippee!" In the episode "A Letter For Swiper", Dora filled in for a delivery bird whose glasses

Glasses

Glasses, also known as eyeglasses , spectacles or simply specs , are frames bearing lenses worn in front of the eyes. They are normally used for vision correction or eye protection. Safety glasses are a kind of eye protection against flying debris or against visible and near visible light or...

were broken; Dora delivered stickers to Swiper (which were sent by his grandmother), and he thanked her for it without trying to swipe anything. In the episode "Swiper the Explorer", Swiper helps Dora on her quest to help Baby Fox find its mommy, and Swiper carries the baby fox almost all through the episode. Also in this episode, it is revealed that Swiper does not speak Spanish, and wishes that he did. Over the course of a few episodes and specials, it can be clearly seen that swiper is very shy, such as in Christmas Carol Adventure, when he was nervous and didn't want to ask the Grumpy old troll how the capes worked. If Swiper fails to swipe something, is sad, or gets in trouble, he will utter his catch phrase of "Oohhh Maaann," such as in the episode "Dance To The Rescue," when Elf and Cane initially trick Swiper and trap him in the magic bottle.

The interaction between Dora and the antagonistic fox also reveals the kindness and grace of Dora's character. In one episode, "Dora's Dance to the Rescue", Swiper took pity on a Dancing Elf who was caught in a magic bottle, similar to a genie. The elf tricked the sympathetic Swiper into removing the bottle's cork, thereby releasing the elf and his talking cane. Unfortunately, the wily fox was thereby entrapped in his place. Stuck and desperate, Swiper called out to Dora and Boots. The remainder of the episode chronicled an epic adventure involving most of the land's creatures, eventually ending with the release of Swiper after a dance contest. The episode was atypical as it involved many dances and songs, and demonstrated a close, unconflicted relationship between Swiper and the other creatures.

In this and several other episodes, Swiper finds himself captured, trapped, or in some sort of trouble. Despite his history of mean-spiritedness toward Dora, she demonstrates that the fox is her friend (which he doesn't find out until "Dora's World Adventure") and will always unquestioningly help Swiper just as she would her other friends, Benny, Isa, Boots, and Tico. If Dora needs his help he will come to her aid in the same manner.

In "Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure," another atypical episode, Swiper's love of swiping ends up getting him on Santa's naughty list, when he fails to head Santa's warnings about swiping on Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

. At first, everyone dismisses what has happened, but Dora immediately insists on helping Swiper, as nobody, not even Swiper deserves to be on Santa's naughty list. After asking Santa if she can do something, Santa sends Dora and Swiper on an epic quest through time

Time travel

Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...

to help Swiper get off the naughty list. Upon coming back, Swiper initially fails his quest, but everyone then expresses that Swiper is their friend and that they want to share their gifts with him because they care about him, despite all the things he's done. It is at this point Swiper learns the true meaning of Christmas, and tries to give Dora his most prized possession, a stuffed bunny he had since he was really young. Dora refuses to accept it, but suggests that they can share it, and Swiper shares his bunny with her. Upon seeing him share his bunny, Santa returns and puts Swiper back on the nice list. It is then revealed that Swiper shared his gifts and didn't swipe anything every Christmas after that.

Swiper is far from being unable to feel guilty for his actions. In the episode "A Present For Santa", Swiper returns the present that he swiped, upon discovering that it was for Santa

Santa Claus

Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...

. In "Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure," Swiper travels through time and begins to regret his actions in the past and future, including making his friends cry when they were babies, and littering on Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...

. In the episode "Dora's World Adventure", Swiper helps Dora return the friendship bracelet

Friendship Bracelet

A friendship bracelet is a bracelet given by one person to another as a symbol of friendship. Friendship bracelets are often handmade, usually of embroidery floss or thread. There are various styles and patterns, but most are based on the same simple half-hitch knot...

s he had swiped all over the world, and was shown to feel guilty once he discovered the magnitude of what he'd done and what he had stolen. During this time Swiper gets a taste of his own medicine, so to speak, as each country they visit has its own "Swiper", only of different species, who tries to steal the bracelets: Fifi the skunk

Skunk

Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...

in France, Sami the hyena

Hyena

Hyenas or Hyaenas are the animals of the family Hyaenidae of suborder feliforms of the Carnivora. It is the fourth smallest biological family in the Carnivora , and one of the smallest in the mammalia...

in Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

, Fomkah the bear

Bear

Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...

in Russia, and Ying Ying the weasel

Weasel

Weasels are mammals forming the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are small, active predators, long and slender with short legs....

in China. All of them act and dress nearly identically to Swiper and are stopped in the same way he is: by saying their name, followed by "no swiping" three times. Then they run off, saying Swiper's catch phrase

Catch phrase

A catchphrase is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through a variety of mass media , as well as word of mouth...

, "Ohh, maann" in the local language. Their entrances are also preluded by a sound, only with local music; e.g. Ying Ying has a chau gong

Gong

A gong is an East and South East Asian musical percussion instrument that takes the form of a flat metal disc which is hit with a mallet....

playing.

Fiesta Trio

Whenever Dora and Boots are successful in a given portion of their quest (quests are usually divided into three portions), the Fiesta Trio appears from seemingly nowhere to congratulate Dora and celebrate for a brief few seconds with music. The Fiesta Trio is a group of three small animals: a grasshopper

Grasshopper

The grasshopper is an insect of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. To distinguish it from bush crickets or katydids, it is sometimes referred to as the short-horned grasshopper...

, a snail

Snail

Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...

, and a frog

Frog

Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...

. The trio are occasionally unable to complete their music as a result of something going on in the scene, such as when they are startled by a bear that is chasing Dora and Boots in one episode.

Backpack

Dora's purple Backpack

Backpack

A backpack is, in its simplest form, a cloth sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders, but there can be exceptions...

(originally voiced by Sasha Toro, and currently voiced by Alexandria Suarez beginning with the fifth season), provides whatever Dora needs to complete her quests. The backpack is a magic satchel

Magic satchel

Magic satchel is a term often used in reference to computer role-playing games. It refers to the use of a character's inventory in the game, which can often contain more items than is physically possible for the character to carry without any visible means to hold or transport them.A similar...

, which has been known to produce large items, including multiple ladder

Ladder

A ladder is a vertical or inclined set of rungs or steps. There are two types: rigid ladders that can be leaned against a vertical surface such as a wall, and rope ladders that are hung from the top. The vertical members of a rigid ladder are called stringers or stiles . Rigid ladders are usually...

s, two complete space suit

Space suit

A space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...

s (one each for Dora and Boots) and other items that simply could not fit inside it. Backpack seems to have a lot of extra space within her fabric to be held in such a small area. It was given to Dora as a present by her mother and father. To make the Backpack open up, Dora asks the viewers at home to say "Backpack". The Backpack then sings a little introduction and asks the viewers at home to choose what Dora needs from among the Backpack's contents. Afterwards, the remaining contents go back into Backpack, who says, "Yum yum yum yum yum, ¡delicioso!" ("Delicious!")

Map

The Map

Map

A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....

(voiced by Marc Weiner

Marc Weiner

) provides travel guidance and advice. When not being consulted, the rolled-up Map resides in a side pocket on the Backpack; to make the Map come out, Dora asks the viewers at home to say "Map." This is the Map's cue to introduce himself to the audience with a repetitive song, which is short in some episodes and longer in others, and describe the path Dora has to take on her quest.

Usually the Map does not do anything more than the actions described above, but in a few episodes he plays a more active role, especially in the episode "Super Map"; the Map finds a small red cape

Cape

Cape can be used to describe any sleeveless outer garment, such as a poncho, but usually it is a long garment that covers only the back half of the wearer, fastening around the neck. They were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon, and have had periodic...

that gives him Superman

Superman

Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...

-like powers, and he uses them to help Dora on her current quest. Map inexplicably gives up the cape, and his super powers, at the end of the episode.

Isa the Iguana

Isa the 9 year old Iguana

Iguana

Iguana is a herbivorous genus of lizard native to tropical areas of Central America and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 by Austrian naturalist Josephus Nicolaus Laurenti in his book Specimen Medicum, Exhibens Synopsin Reptilium Emendatam cum Experimentis circa Venena...

is a very close friend of Dora's and an even closer friend of Boots. Isa is a skilled gardener and loves to grow mainly flowers of all kinds. She even presents her mom with a bouquet of flowers she grew herself as a Mother's Day

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...

gift.

At times, her problem solving skills prove to be invaluable for her friends and even herself made all the more disposal by her naturally acquired ability to blend into surroundings at will.

Isa also seems to have a bit of a crush on Boots, whom she knew long before she ever met Dora. She treats both Dora and Boots equally but Isa always greets Boots more shyly than Dora. She was first voiced by Ashley Flemming, and is now being done by Lenique Vincent.

Tico the Squirrel

Squirrel

Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...

(who has been voiced by Muhammed Cunningham, Jose Zelaya and currently by Jean Carlos Celi) is a friend of Dora's who lives in the forest and who speaks Spanish and very rarely English (one occasion when he said "You're welcome" in English). He wears a colorful striped vest

Vest

A vest is a garment covering the upper body. The term has different meanings around the world:Waistcoat :. This is called a waistcoat in the UK and many Commonwealth countries, or a vest in the US and Canada. It is often worn as part of formal attire, or as the third piece of a lounge...

, and is usually seen driving his little yellow car

Automobile

An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...

, although he has been known to travel in a variety of vehicles, from helicopters to boats. He has purple fur, a round body, and small triangular stumps for arms and legs.

Tico's function on the show is to help Dora teach the audience words and phrases in Spanish; Dora has to tell Tico something in Spanish, such as "Faster" or "Look out", and she asks the viewers at home to say it along with her. In some episodes, a different Spanish-speaking character (such as Señor Tucán) appears instead of Tico.

In the episode "Dora's First Trip", it was established that Boots had been friends with Tico before Dora met either of them, despite the fact that Boots and Tico speak two different languages.

Benny the Bull

Bull

Bull usually refers to an uncastrated adult male bovine.Bull may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Bull , an original show on the TNT Network* "Bull" , an episode of television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation...

(voiced by Jake Burbage

Jake Burbage

Jake Burbage, is an American actor who is best known for his role on Grounded for Life as Henry Finnerty.-Career:...

until 2009, now by Matthew Gumley

Matthew Gumley

Matthew David Gumley is a child actor.-Broadway productions: *Elf Original Cast *Addams Family Original Cast...

) is a friend of Dora's who lives in a barn

Barn

A barn is an agricultural building used for storage and as a covered workplace. It may sometimes be used to house livestock or to store farming vehicles and equipment...

, loves to eat, and often rides in a hot air balloon

Hot air balloon

The hot air balloon is the oldest successful human-carrying flight technology. It is in a class of aircraft known as balloon aircraft. On November 21, 1783, in Paris, France, the first untethered manned flight was made by Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier and François Laurent d'Arlandes in a hot air...

. He is mostly blue with little yellow horns, stands on his hind legs, is a little taller than Dora, and wears a blue bandanna with white polka dots around his neck.

Benny sometimes provides Dora with something that she needs on her current quest. In the episode "Swiper the Explorer", Dora needed something for the Baby Fox to drink, and Benny's picnic basket

Picnic basket

A picnic basket or food hamper is a basket intended to hold food and tableware for a picnic meal. Picnic baskets are standard equipment at many picnics....

just happened to contain a carton of milk and a baby bottle

Baby bottle

A baby bottle is a bottle with a teat to drink directly from. It is typically used by infants and young children when a mother does not breastfeed, or if someone cannot drink from a cup, for feeding oneself or being fed.In particular it is used to feed infant formula, expressed breast milk or...

("Now, why did I pack that?"). In the episode "Dance to the Rescue", Dora and Boots needed fancy clothes to be allowed into King Bobo's castle, and Benny happened to have a gown and a bow tie in the basket of his balloon.

In the episode "Boots' Cuddly Dinosaur", Benny said that he can not sleep without nine dolls which he calls his "guys."

Despite having the same name, this character is not the same as the mascot of the Chicago Bulls

Benny the Bull

Benny the Bull, commonly known as Benny, is the mascot of the Chicago Bulls, a role he has filled since 1969.-Biography:For more than 40 years, Benny the Bull has been entertaining Chicago Bulls fans, first at Chicago Stadium , and then at the United Center...

Cast for 2002–2006

Jake Burbage
Jake Burbage
Jake Burbage, is an American actor who is best known for his role on Grounded for Life as Henry Finnerty.-Career:...
Harrison Chad
Andres Dieppa
Felipe Dieppa
Elaine Del Valle
Ashley Fleming
Eileen Galindo
Chris Gifford
Kathleen Herles
Kathleen Herles
Kathleen Herles is an American voice actress, best known for being the original voice of Dora in Dora the Explorer....
John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Montalbán
Ricardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
Esai Morales
Esai Morales
Esai Manuel Morales is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Bob Morales in the 1987 biopic La Bamba. He also appeared in the PBS drama American Family and in the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd.. However, he is best known for his roles as Lt...
Amy Principe
Irwin Reese
Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera is an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theater. She is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award...
Antonia Rey
Antonia Rey
Antonia Rey is a Cuban actress.Rey was born Antonia Francesch in Havana, Cuba, the daughter of Emilia , a nurse, and Antonio Francesch, a dentist. She married director Andres Castro in 1958....
Paul Rodriguez
Paul Rodríguez
Paul Rodriguez is a Mexican-American stand-up comedian and actor.-Personal life:Rodriguez was born in Culiacán, Sinaloa, México to Mexican agriculture ranchers.. His family migrated to East Los Angeles, where he enlisted in the military; he was stationed in Iceland and Duluth, Minnesota...
K.J. Sanchez
Adam Sietz
Sasha Toro
Leslie Valdes
Marc Weiner
Marc Weiner
Marc Weiner is an American comedian, clown, puppeteer, and television producer. Born into the Weiner family as the middle child between his brothers Jonas and Jess, Has 3 children, Rebecca who is married to Yerucham Pliner, Max who is a successful musician and Sara who is very pretty...
Jose Zelaya

Explorer Stars voices:
Christiana Anbri
Henry Gifford
Katie Gifford
Aisha Shickler
Muhammed Cunningham
Jose Zeleya

Cast for 2007–2010

Caitlin Sanchez
Caitlin Sanchez
Caitlin Sanchez is an American actress, best known for the voice of the title character Dora in the Nickelodeon animated series for children Dora the Explorer.-Background:...

- Dora (terminated in October 2010 pending lawsuit)
Regan Mizrahi
Regan Mizrahi
Regan Mizrahi is an American child actor. Born in Northern New Jersey, he got his start doing commercials while he was still in diapers. He is one of three kids in show business and the son of an actress and a doctor. He is the great grandson of radio star Nat Hale...

- Boots
Alexandria Suarez - Backpack
Lenique Vincent - Isa the Iguana
Jean Carlos Celi - Tico the Squirrel
Marc Weiner
Marc Weiner
Marc Weiner is an American comedian, clown, puppeteer, and television producer. Born into the Weiner family as the middle child between his brothers Jonas and Jess, Has 3 children, Rebecca who is married to Yerucham Pliner, Max who is a successful musician and Sara who is very pretty...

- Swiper & Map
Adam Seitz - Various
Matt Gumley
Matthew Gumley
Matthew David Gumley is a child actor.-Broadway productions: *Elf Original Cast *Addams Family Original Cast...

- Benny The Bull

Plot

The episodes of Dora the Explorer almost always follow a regular pattern, breaking the fourth wall

Fourth wall

The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...

Dora has something she wants to do or somewhere she needs to go.
Dora has three, or, in some double-length episodes, four, places to go, with the final place as the destination.
Dora and Boots meet Swiper somewhere along the way, sometimes succeed at saying 'Swiper no Swiping' three times; sometimes Swiper successfully swipes Dora's item and hides it. Dora and Boots always find the hidden item.
Dora will meet one of her friends at each of the locations detailed by the Map.
Dora always succeeds in passing the obstacles.
In the English version, Dora will ask the viewers to help her by giving advice (jump, run etc.), locating items (especially those stolen by Swiper) and often shouting commands to the characters in Spanish (especially Tico and Sr. Tucan, who can only speak Spanish).
Every character that appeared on the episode sings 'We did it' at the end except for Swiper (unless Swiper has taken some positive role in the episode, such as the episode where he rescues a lost baby fox).
Dora asks viewers what their favorite part was. She (and usually Boots) then proceed to tell the viewer which part of the adventure she most enjoyed. Any other major character can also be included in this section.
During the closing credits, viewers are either asked to find a character, hiding in a location, or follow instructions to achieve an objective.

Dora's Explorer Girls

In 2009, Mattel

Mattel

Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...

and Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon (TV channel)

introduced a preteen version of Dora, with four friends named Naiya, Kate, Emma, and Alana, who call themselves the Explorer Girls. This is the "tween Dora" whose silhouette created some controversy when it debuted at the Nickelodeon website.

Foreign adaptations

As with many animated series made in the U.S., Dora the Explorer has been dubbed into many languages all over the world. The simplicity and repetitious nature of the episodes make this series especially well-suited for learning important phrases in a foreign language.

Arabic In the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

version broadcast on the "Nickelodeon on MBC3" block of MBC3, the bilingualism is Arabic-English

Chinese In the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

version Dora the characters speak mainly Mandarin with limited English. It is broadcast on Yo-yo TV in Taiwan (Channel 25).

Danish In the Danish language
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...

version Dora is similarly to Swedish listed by Nickolodeon as Dora- utforskaren although this title is actually incorrect use of Danish. Translated it would be Udforskeren Dora (or, Udforskerinden Dora to emphasize the female gender). There are commands and expressions in English. It is broadcast on Nick Jr. in the subscription of Canal Digital
Canal Digital
Canal Digital is a Scandinavian television distributor and internet service provider that was founded in March 1997 as a joint venture between the French pay-TV company Canal+ and the Norwegian telecommunications operator Telenor...

and Viasat
Viasat
Viasat is a DBS distributor and TV broadcaster, owned by the Swedish media conglomerate Modern Times Group. Broadcasting from London, the target markets are in the Nordic and the Baltic Countries...

.

Dutch. In the Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...

version, broadcast on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (Netherlands)
The Dutch version of Nickelodeon, seen in the Netherlands and Flanders, launched on September 1, 2002. Nickelodeon is on air 24 hours a day CET ....

and Nick .Jr, the bilingualism is Dutch-English. Starring Voice Actors: Lottie Hellingman as Dora and Dieter Jansen as Boots.

French. In the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

version, Dora l'exploratrice, broadcast on TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...

in France and Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec is a French language public educational television network in the Canadian province of Quebec. Known legally as Société de télédiffusion du Québec , it is a provincial crown corporation owned by the Government of Quebec...

in Canada, the bilingualism is French-English, with Dora and Boots (called Babouche) speaking French and other protagonists speaking and answering in English.

Filipino In the Filipino language
Filipino language
This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...

version broadcast on ABS-CBN
ABS-CBN
ABS–CBN Corporation is a Philippine-based media conglomerate. It is the Philippines' largest media and entertainment conglomerate. The corporation was the merger of Alto Broadcasting System which at that time owned by James Lindenberg and Antonio Quirino, and the Chronicle Broadcasting Network ...

entitled as its English title "Dora, the Explorer". The characters speak Filipino and some English, Dora teaches English in this version.

German. In the German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....

version, broadcast on the recently restarted German branch of Nickelodeon, the bilingualism is German-English.

Greek. In the Greek version called "Ντόρα η μικρή εξερευνήτρια" (or Dora the Little Explorer), broadcast on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (Greece)
Nickelodeon ' is the Greek version of Nickelodeon. It launched on 3 September 2010. It is available free-to-air in the Athens area on 35 UHF signal broadcast from Hymettus, while it is also available through the DIGEA DVB-T2 digital consortium on 54 UHF signal broadcast from Aegina.. Nickelodeon HD...

and Star Channel
Star Channel
Star Channel is a Greek television network that broadcasts a mix of foreign and Greek programming. It launched in December 1993 and is owned by Nea Tileorasi A.E.. The main news bulletin is called Star Eidiseis, which is currently hosted by Aimilios Liatsos...

, the bilingualism is Greek-English. Dora and Boots (called Botas) speak Greek and other protagonists speak and answer in English.

Hebrew. In the Hebrew version, broadcast on HOP channel, the bilingualism is Hebrew-English. The series is called מגלים עם דורה (or Megalim Im Dora--English: Discovering with Dora).

Hindi. In the Hindi language version, Dora and the other characters speak Hindi. It is broadcast on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon is a US cable TV channel.Nickelodeon may also refer to:-In television:*Spinoffs of the Nickelodeon channel:** Nickelodeon Magazine, a children's magazine.** Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park....

.

Indonesian. The Indonesian language
Indonesian language
Indonesian is the official language of Indonesia. Indonesian is a normative form of the Riau Islands dialect of Malay, an Austronesian language which has been used as a lingua franca in the Indonesian archipelago for centuries....

version, formerly broadcast on Lativi, is now broadcast on Global TV.The bilingualism is Indonesian-English.

Irish. In the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...

version, broadcast on the Irish station TG4
TG4
TG4 is a public service broadcaster for Irish language speakers. The channel has been on-air since 31 October 1996 in the Republic of Ireland and since April 2005 in Northern Ireland....

, the bilingualism is Irish-Spanish, with Dora and Boots speaking in Irish and some other characters speaking Spanish as in the original.

Italian. In the Italian language
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...

version, broadcast on Italia 1
Italia 1
Italia 1 is an Italian commercial television channel on the Mediaset network. It is oriented especially at young people.Italia 1 was launched in January 1982 and, originally, was owned by Rusconi; after a few months, however, due to the aggressive dumping practices of Silvio Berlusconi's rival...

and on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...

in the subscription of Sky
Sky Italia
Sky Italia S.r.l. is an Italian digital satellite television platform owned by News Corporation launched on 1 August 2003, when the former platforms TELE+ and Stream TV merged together...

, the bilingualism is Italian-English. The series is called Dora l'esploratrice ("Dora the Explorer"). Most characters speak Italian, but some characters and especially Dora's parents and backpack speak English together with Italian.

Japanese. In the Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...

version, broadcast on Nick Japan
Nickelodeon (Japan)
Nickelodeon is a Japanese website for children, teens and adults. Started on November 1998 as a cable and satellite TV channel, Viacom attempted to bring their Nickelodeon brand to the Japanese market. Due to declining viewership, the television network shut down on September 30, 2009...

, the bilingualism is Anglo-Japanese, with Dora and Boots speaking Japanese and other protagonists speaking and answering in English. The version is called ドーラといっしょに大冒険 (Dōra to issho ni dai bōken/Adventures with Dora).

Korean. The Korean language
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...

version is broadcast on Nick Jr in Korea. The title is different it is called "Hi Dora" and is introduced by a real person whose name is Dami - she introduces key English vocabulary for each episode. The episode is primarily in Korean with some English.

Malay. The Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...

version is broadcast on TV9
TV9 (Malaysia)
TV9 is a free-to-air private television station in Malaysia. TV9 began broadcasting on 22 April 2006, as a subsidiary of Media Prima Berhad. It formerly existed as Channel 9, which began airing on 9 September 2003 and ceased transmission on 1 February 2005 due to financial difficulties faced by the...

. The bilingualism is Malay-English. Dora speaks primarily in Malay instead of English, and the secondary language is English instead of Spanish. The original English-Spanish version, however, is also available on Nickelodeon South East Asia
Nickelodeon South East Asia
Nickelodeon Southeast Asia is a satellite and cable TV channel for children and teenagers. Operated by MTV Networks Asia Pacific and owned by Viacom International....

via the Nick Jr. programming slot to subscribers of the ASTRO satellite TV service.

Norwegian. In the Norwegian language
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...

version, the bilingualism is Norwegian-English.

Polish. In the Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...

version, broadcast on Nickelodeon in Poland, the bilingualism is Polish-English. The series is called Dora poznaje świat ("Dora explores the world").

Portuguese. In the Portuguese language
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...

versions, Dora a Exploradora, broadcast on RTP2 and Nickelodeon Portugal. At Nickelodeon Brazil, Dora and Boots (called Boots in the Portuguese version and called Botas in the Brazilian version) speak Portuguese and the other protagonists speak and answer in English. Some Portuguese episodes are available on DVD.

Russian. In the Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...

version, broadcast on TNT and Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (CIS)
Nickelodeon is a children's channel broadcasting in the CIS countries, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Malta, Maldives, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, that was launched on November 15, 1998. The channel is broadcast in Russian language...

, the bilingualism is Russian-English. The series is called Dasha-sledopyt ("Dasha the Pathfinder"). Dasha is the children's name of Daria (Darya).

Serbian. In the Serbian language
Serbian language
Serbian is a form of Serbo-Croatian, a South Slavic language, spoken by Serbs in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and neighbouring countries....

version, broadcast on B92
B92
B92 is a radio and television broadcaster with national coverage headquartered in Belgrade, Serbia. The network's key demographic is chiefly urban and young audience. Its programs, including the news cover topics with fairly liberal political painted attitudes...

, the bilingualism is Serbian-Spanish. The series is called Dora istražuje (Dora is exploring).

Spanish. There are different Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

versions for Latin America and Spain. In Dora la Exploradora, broadcast on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...

in Latin America (and until September 2006 on Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....

in the USA; since April 2008 on Univisión
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...

), Dora and Boots (called Botas) speak Spanish and the other protagonists speak and answer in English. Some Spanish episodes are available to US viewers on VHS, and some DVDs have a Spanish track (including Dora's Egg Hunt). This version is entirely the reverse of the original English version; Tico & Señor Tucan (called Mr. Toucan) only speak English. Additionally, Univision has added on-screen captions of the Spanish words spoken in English. In Spain, Dora la exploradora is aired on TVE 1
TVE 1
La 1 is the primary television channel of Spanish public broadcaster Radiotelevisión Española...

, Clan TVE
Clan TVE
Clan TVE is a children's TV channel from the Spanish public service broadcaster TVE. Until 1 January 2007 it had time-shared with TVE 50 Años which has since closed. The service now broadcasts 24 hours a day. The channel is available free on digital terrestrial television and on Digital+...

and Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (Spain)
Nickelodeon Spain is a Spanish channel for kids shown in Spain.-Current:*SpongeBob SquarePants *Big Time Rush*Almost Almonds *Dora the Explorer...

; the characters speak mainly Spanish but will have commands and expressions in English.

Swedish In the Swedish language
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...

version Dora- utforskaren the characters speak mainly Swedish but will have commands and expressions in English. It is broadcast on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon Sweden
Nickelodeon Sweden is a children's channel broadcasting to Sweden.Nickelodeon has been available in Sweden since 1996 when a pan-Scandinavian version was launched on the analogue Viasat platform...

and TV4.

Tamil In the Tamil language
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

version Dora The Explorer, the characters all speak Tamil, with some English interspersed. It is broadcast on a local kids programming channel Chutti TV
Chutti TV
Chutti TV is a 24-hour Tamil language television channel owned by the Sun Network. The target audience are children aged between 3 and 14. It was launched in 2007, making it Sun TV Network's first ever television channel for kids....

, a channel run by the Sun Network
Sun TV (India)
Sun TV is a regional Indian cable television station. It is the flagship channel of the Chennai-based Sun Network. It was founded and currently owned by Kalanidhi Maran. It was the first fully privately owned television channel in India when it emerged in 1992...

Turkish In the Turkish language
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...

version Dora the characters speak mainly Turkish, Spanish and English but will have commands and expressions in Turkish. It is broadcast on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...

and CNBC-e
CNBC-e
CNBC-e is a hybrid business/financial and entertainment channel operated in Turkey by CNBC Europe and the NTV Group.The channel shares its name with a co-owned magazine about CNBC-e....

.

Stage adaptations

Two stage versions of Dora the Explorer toured North America, the first being "City of Lost Toys", and the second being "Dora's Pirate Adventure." Produced by Nickelodeon and LiveNation, these productions featured live actors portraying the roles of Dora and her friends, including Boots, Diego, Isa, and the Fiesta Trio. Many of the characters wore elaborate foam costumes designed to resemble the Dora characters. Each production featured a structure similar to an episode of the television series.

City of Lost Toys featured Christina Bianco as Dora, while Dora's Pirate Adventure featured Danay Ferrer in the role, a former member of the all female American pop band innosense

Innosense

Innosense was an all-female American group. The band were together from 1997 to 2003.-History:The band was managed by Lou Pearlman and Lynn Harless. The original members were Danay Ferrer, Mandy Ashford, Nikki DeLoach, Amanda Latona, and Britney Spears and formed in 1997...

. Both productions featured a version of the popular Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan

Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...

song "Get On Your Feet" as the final number of the show.

Both productions were conceived by Chris Gifford, creator of the television show, and directed by Gip Hoppe.

There have been three Dora touring companies. The "City of Lost Toys" company and the "Pirate Adventure" company featured actors and crew that were members of Actor's Equity and IATSE, respectively, the unions for professional actors and stagehands in the United States. The third company performs a reduced version of "Pirate Adventure" and does not employ union personnel. This production is currently touring North America, and scheduled to travel to the United Kingdom and France.

Live-action movie

It was revealed on February 18, 2008, that Nickelodeon would make a made-for-television movie based on the series, but as a live-action/CGI

Computer animation

Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....

animated feature. Dora, who would still be of Hispanic descent, would become a ten-year-old girl in this version with other characters computer animated. The movie is expected to be released in 2011.

Makeover

On March 8, 2009, Mattel

Mattel

and Nickelodeon announced that Dora will receive a tweenage makeover, switching from a young age to a teenage attending middle school. Initially, it was announced that the new look would not be revealed until late 2009, but after a short controversy, the tween Dora was unveiled on March 16, 2009. The new pre-teen Dora might be used for the new season that is expecting to launch on March 2011.

Dora the Explorer merchandise

There are many action figures and playsets available in many markets, along with DVDs, cosmetics, hygiene products, ride-ons, books, board games, plush dolls, apparel, handbags, play tents, play kitchens and more. Licensees include Holland Publishing

Holland Publishing

Holland Publishing PLC is an independent UK publishing house specializing in children's activity, sticker and colouring books. The company is based in Woodford Green, Essex, United Kingdom...

in the United Kingdom.

Toys

In 2007, lead paint used by a contract toy manufacturer in China prompted Mattel to issue recalls for nearly a million toys, many of which featured Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...

and Nickelodeon characters, including Dora the Explorer. Nickelodeon responded that they would introduce "third-party monitoring" of all manufacturers of products under its brands.

Dora the Explorer series

Dora's Backpack (ISBN 978-0689847202)
Little Star (ISBN 978-0689847219)
Happy Mother's Day Mami! (ISBN 978-0689852336)
Meet Diego! (ISBN 978-0689859939)
Dora's Thanksgiving (ISBN 978-0689858420)
Dora Loves Boots (ISBN 978-0689863738)
Dora's Book of Manners (ISBN 978-0689865336)
Dora Goes to School (ISBN 978-0689864940)
Dora's Fairy-Tale Adventure (ISBN 978-0689870125)
Dora's Chilly Day (ISBN 978-0689867958)
Show Me Your Smile! (ISBN 978-0689871696)
Dora's Pirate Adventure (ISBN 978-0689875830)
Big Sister Dora! (ISBN 978-0689878466)
At the Carnival (ISBN 978-0689858413)
Dora's Costume Party! (ISBN 978-1416900108)
Dance to the Rescue (ISBN 978-1416902164)
Dora's Starry Christmas (ISBN 978-1416902492)
Super babies (ISBN 978-1416914853)
The Birthday Dance Party (ISBN 978-1416913030)
Dora's World Adventure (ISBN 978-1416924470)
Dora Climbs Star Mountain (ISBN 978-1416940593)
It's Sharing Day! (ISBN 978-1416915751)
Dora Had a Little Lamb (ISBN 978-1416933687)
Dora Saves Mermaid Kingdom! (ISBN 978-1416938415)
Dora and the Stuck Truck (ISBN 978-1416947998)

Ready To Read series – Level 1

Dora's Picnic (ISBN 978-0689852381)
Follow Those Feet! (ISBN 978-0689852398)
Dora in the Deep Sea (ISBN 978-0689858451)
I Love My Papi! (ISBN 978-0689864957)
Say "Cheese!" (ISBN 978-0689864964)
The Halloween Cat (ISBN 978-0689867996)
Eggs for Everyone! (ISBN 978-0689871764)
Just Like Dora! (ISBN 978-0689876752)
I Love My Mami! (ISBN 978-1416906506)
Puppy Takes a Bath (ISBN 978-1416914839)
Around the World! (ISBN 978-1416924784)
Dora's Sleepover (ISBN 978-1416915089)
Dora Helps Diego! (ISBN 978-1416915096)
Dora's Perfect Pumpkin (ISBN 978-1416934387)
Dora's Mystery of the Missing Shoes (ISBN 978-1416938248)

A Lift-the-Flap Story

Good Night, Dora!: A Lift-the-Flap Story (ISBN 978-0689847745)
Where Is Boots?: A Lift-the-Flap Story (ISBN 978-0689847752)
Let's Play Sports!: A Lift-the-Flap Story (ISBN 978-1416933502)
All Dressed Up!: A Lift-the-Flap Book (ISBN 978-0689877186)

Treasury books and collection books

Dora's Ready-to-Read Adventures (ISBN 978-0689878152)

Contains: Dora's picnic, Follow those feet, Dora in the deep sea, I love my Papi!, Say "Cheese"

Dora's Storytime Collection (ISBN 978-0689866234)

Contains: Dora's Backpack, Little Star, Happy Birthday, Mami!, Meet Diego!, Dora Saves the Prince, Dora's Treasure Hunt, Good Night, Dora!

Dora's Big Book of Stories (ISBN 978-1416907084)

Contains: Dora's Book of Manners, Dora Goes to School, Dora's Fairy-Tale Adventure, Dora's Chilly Day, Show Me Your Smile!, Dora's Pirate Adventure, Big Sister Dora!

Video games

Video games based on the 2000 television show Dora the Explorer were released. In Canada, Cheerios

Cheerios

Cheerios is a brand of breakfast cereal by General Mills introduced on May 1, 1941 as the first oat-based, ready-to-eat cold cereal. Originally named CheeriOats, the name was changed to Cheerios in 1945 because of a trade name dispute with Quaker Oats. The name fit the "O" shape of the cereal pieces...

offered free Dora the Explorer the Game CD-ROM

CD-ROM

A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....

s in specially marked packages. However, packages sold in Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

would only have the French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

version. Dora the Explorer: Barnyard Buddies is a video game released for the PlayStation

PlayStation

The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...

in 2003 in the US. It was not released in Europe until 2005 being one of the very last games released on that platform in that territory. Dora the Explorer: Super Star Adventures is an adventure video game for the Gameboy Advance released in 2004. It was developed by Imaginengine and published by Global Star.

Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet is an action-adventure video game

Action-adventure game

An action-adventure game is a video game that combines elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. It is perhaps the broadest and most diverse genre in gaming, and can include many games which might better be categorized under narrow genres...

, developed by Monkey Bar Games

Monkey Bar Games

Monkey Bar Games is a division of the video game developer Vicious Cycle Software, based out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Monkey Bar's mission is the creation of family entertainment products on all handheld and console video game platforms and the PC....

, published by Global Star Software and powered by Vicious Engine

Vicious Engine

The Vicious Engine is a game engine offering functionality for rendering, sound, networking, physics, game play scripting, and lighting. It is developed by Vicious Cycle Software, and was first released in January 2005.- History and availability :...

. The game was released for Gamecube in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

on October 13, 2005, and later in PAL regions on December 16, 2005. The Playstation 2

PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...

version was released on PAL regions on December 2, 2005, and later in North America in February 9, 2006. The game is about Dora and Boots who finds some lost aliens from the purple planet. However, to take them home, she and Boots are required to collect keys to open the space gate, leading to the saturn planet. The game is unique in that it uses pictures and symbols to communicate rather than words. The object of the game is to capture one of the six explorer stars. Each explorer star has a special power such as the ability to be noisy or the ability to create music. In order to capture the star, the player must complete a hide-and-seek activity. These activities include maze navigation, matching games, side-scrolling race games, a "Frogger

Frogger

Frogger is an arcade game introduced in 1981. It was developed by Konami, and licensed for worldwide distribution by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct frogs to their homes one by one. To do this, each frog must avoid cars while crossing a busy road and navigate a river full of...

"-type game, a complete-the-pattern activity and a song playing game.

Dora Puppy is a puppy simulator were players must help Dora take care of her puppy, Perrito, and help train him for doggie competitions. All the actions are performed by either tracing certain shapes with the stylus or calling out commands into the DS's microphone. It was developed by Take-Two Interactive

Take-Two Interactive

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a major American publisher, developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals. Take-Two wholly owns 2K Games and Rockstar Games. The company's headquarters are in New York City, with international headquarters in Windsor, United Kingdom...

for the Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

and published by 2K Play

2K Play

2K Play is an American video game publisher that primarily publishes family and budget-priced titles. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of 2K Games and Take-Two Interactive...

in North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

and Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

in 2009, and in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

in 2010.

Dora the Explorer: Dora's Cooking Club is a cooking video game for the Nintendo DS

Nintendo DS

. It was published by 2K Play

2K Play

2K Play is an American video game publisher that primarily publishes family and budget-priced titles. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of 2K Games and Take-Two Interactive...

in 2010. In the game, players have to chop veggies, stir soups, top pizzas, and more using math skills. They may be sorting cookies into numbered groups or counting out different amounts of ingredients.

Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess is a video game that was released for the PlayStation 2 and the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...

console in 2008.
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom is a video game that was released for the PlayStation 2 and the Wii console in 2009.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.