'Dora the Explorer' takes kids on new — and bilingual — adventures

“Dora the Explorer” has been taking young viewers on adventures for almost a quarter of a century.

“Dora the Explorer” has been taking young viewers on adventures for almost a quarter of a century. And while the animation has upgraded to 3D and the episodes are shorter, the actor who voiced Dora for the first time 24 years ago says that the new season —kicking off Friday on Paramount+ — will be as friendly and exciting as always.

“Dora’s still going on these adventures — and including the viewer, including everyone to join her,” said Kathleen Herles in an interview with NBC News. “If she brings you with her, and she’s teaching you or helping you problem-solve, teaching you a new Spanish word, teaching you about who she is, showing you her culture, I think any adventure would be great.”

Dora Márquez, known more intimately by her young viewers as Dora the Explorer, started off as a 7-year-old Latina on Nickelodeon in August 2000.

Each episode focuses on an adventure. And Dora habitually breaks the fourth wall of the show, which is to say that she speaks to her viewers directly as if they were all joining her on her quests. Her travel companions include a bilingual purple backpack that speaks Spanish and English, and an anthropomorphic monkey named Boots.

While the creators of Dora want to preserve her personality as open and fun, her identity has become more defined.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/dora-explorer-takes-kids-new-bilingual-adventures-rcna147254

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