‘Dora’ Takes Young Viewers Along on Interactive Adventures

With today’s launch of the newest Nick Jr. series, “Dora the Explorer,” a CD-ROM-style show starring a bilingual Latina child cartoon host, Nickelodeon continues to take the high road with innovative, top-quality educational programming for preschoolers.

While not as visually creative or downright charming as the network’s landmark series, “Blue’s Clues,” “Dora the Explorer”--the character debuted on nickjr.com in July--is just as gentle and smart. It encourages the same kind of thoughtful viewer participation, too, in problem- and puzzle-solving.

Each episode simulates taking viewers inside a computer for a new adventure with Dora and her monkey pal, Boots--finding the way to a “big red hill,” for instance, or returning a lost baby bird to its mother. Throughout, Dora and Boots ask for help in reaching their goal.

Viewers check inside Dora’s talking Backpack and choose the items needed for the task at hand; they consult the talking Map for three-step directions, and then help Dora remember them. There are puzzles to solve along the way--helping a bird find the grande or pequen~o pieces of wood needed to repair a bridge; guiding another bird along a path of azul stones; helping Dora and Boots sort through a pile of keys to find the one that will open a gate.

It leaves spaces for kids to respond before a cursor appears on screen, pointing to the correct answer.

Children are also asked to warn Dora when Swiper, a mild-mannered, larcenous fox comes on the scene. They can stop him from taking what isn’t his by joining her in scolding him with, “Swiper, no swiping.”

In addition to teaching a few words in Spanish (characters who don’t speak English pop up along the way), the shows exercise skills in recognizing shapes, colors, numbers and letters, as well as logical thinking, motor skills--moving to music--and concepts of cooperation, empathy, and pride of accomplishment.

The shows’ long, comfortable pauses for viewer response and the child-respecting positive reinforcement characterizes the best of the best preschooler shows. And, as with “Blue’s Clues,” only one “Dora” episode will air each week, repeating Monday through Friday to allow its young viewers to firmly grasp the concepts presented.

* “Dora the Explorer,” Nickelodeon, Monday, 11 a.m. and noon (Episode 1), and noon and 12:30 p.m. (Episode 2). Also, Monday, 8 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. (Episode 3). Regular schedule: Mondays-Fridays, 11 a.m. TV-Y (suitable for young children).