Since its debut in 2000, the Dora the Explorer show has captured the hearts of young children around the world. Dora and all of her eccentric cast of friends have a kind of charm that you don’t find in many places these days. In fact, the Dora the Explorer show has the perfect blend of music, adventure, and education to keep kids forever engaged and looking forward to seeing what happens next. Dora’s popularity comes down to a combination of various elements that appeal to children.
The first thing that draws the audience (consisting almost entirely of preschoolers and their parents) to the Dora the Explorer show is the cast of characters. First, of course, is Dora herself. Dora is basically the essence of what every kid wants in a hero. She is brave, loyal and kind to those around her. Even at such a young age, she enthusiastically takes on any adventure that comes her way and follows her curiosity to explore the world around her. She is somewhat unique in American children’s television in that she is bilingual.
His traveling companion and best friend is a purple, blue, and yellow monkey named Boots (named, unsurprisingly, for the big red boots he wears). He is just as adventurous as his human friend and follows Dora everywhere. of his travels, entertaining Dora (and the audience) with her streak of mischief.
Two of the most unique cast members on the Dora the Explorer show are Backpack and Map. As their names imply, they are, in fact, a living backpack and map that help Dora on her expeditions into the unknown. The backpack is about as enthusiastic a bag as one could hope to find. Inside her purple body, she stores an endless supply of useful items for Dora’s quests, which she happily distributes, along with a chorus of Backpack Song. He, like Dora, is bilingual.
The map is equally useful in Dora’s adventures, guiding her wherever she needs to go. He also has his own song, which he recites when he appears. While these two characters’ songs are likely to be annoying to adults, they’re pretty perfect for most young children, making these two a crowd favorite. The latest member of the Dora cast is Swiper, the thieving fox. He can usually be found stirring up trouble until Dora shows up to save the day.
The second secret to the success of the Dora the Explorer show is the interactive element. At various points during each episode, Dora will ask the children in the audience for help with a task. For example, to defeat Swiper, she has the audience repeat the phrase “Swiper, don’t swipe!” repeatedly. Other times, she asks the audience for help in answering a question or solving any number of other problems. While there’s no natural interaction here (since whether or not someone responds to it doesn’t really make any difference to the cartoon), it does make kids feel like they really are a part of the Dora the Explorer show, which is a big part of what that keeps them coming back for more.
Copyright © Jared Winston, 2006. All rights reserved.
