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The Blessed Father Basil Anthony Marie Patrice Moreau, CSC (February 11, 1799–January 20, 1873) was the French priest who founded the Congregation of Holy Cross from which three additional congregations were founded, namely the Marianites of Holy Cross, the Sisters of the Holy Cross, and the Sisters of Holy Cross. Father Moreau was beatified on September 15, 2007 in Le Mans, France.

Upbringing[link]

Born on February 11, 1799, in Laigné-en-Belin, a small village near Le Mans, France, Fr. Moreau grew up in the midst of the turmoil of the French Revolution. As his parents were devout Catholics involved in the underground Church, the aspect of the Revolution which most affected him was the suppression of the Church.

The ninth of 14 children, Basil was accustomed to a sparse life; yet, by the generosity of his pastor who tutored him, he was able to achieve a good primary education. Feeling himself called to the priesthood, Basil entered the diocesan seminary in 1814, when the hostilities of the Revolution toward the Church had subsided. The seminary was run by the Society of Saint-Sulpice and schooled him in the French school of spirituality which remained an inspiration in his preaching and writings all his life. At age 22 in 1821, Basil Moreau was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Le Mans at the Old Visitation Convent Chapel of the Sacred Heart, while the Cathedral of St. Julien in Le Mans was under restoration.

Ministry as a young priest[link]

Restoration of the Church was the principal theme and work of Fr. Moreau's life. As most of the pastors and teachers in France before the Revolution were priests and religious who were forced into exile, by the 1820s most of the nation was ill-catechized, illiterate, and without the benefit of the sacraments. As a young priest and throughout his life, Basil was an effective preacher who preached parish missions and offered the sacraments on an itinerant basis to rekindle the neglected faith in towns and villages throughout the region.

In 1835, many things happened that would be central to Fr. Moreau’s work for the rest of his life. He was assigned to be the assistant superior of the seminary at Le Mans, where he was a popular and inspiring professor of theology. He founded a group of priests within the Diocese of Le Mans that would assist him in his various endeavors to re-invigorate the Church throughout the region, especially preaching parish missions. He called them the Society of Auxiliary Priests. In the same year, an older priest of the same diocese, Fr. Jacques-Francois Dujarié, who fifteen years before in 1820 had founded a band of young men to re-establish and teach in the schools throughout the region, handed responsibility for them over to Fr. Moreau on account of his failing health. While not technically religious because they had not made a novitiate or taken public vows, many of these young men, known as the Brothers of St. Joseph, desired to become a recognized religious organization.

Foundation of Holy Cross[link]

Following the developments of 1835 which placed in Fr. Moreau’s hands all the pieces of a nascent religious community, he began to lay the groundwork for just that. In 1837, under the leadership of Fr. Moreau, the Brothers of St. Joseph and the Society of Auxiliary Priests joined by signing together the "Fundamental Pact of Union", becoming two equal societies in one community, the Congregation of Holy Cross.

The congregation took its name from the neighborhood of Sainte Croix in Le Mans, where the 12th century church, Notre Dame du Sainte Croix, was to become the mother church of the new foundation. Holy Cross, following the example of its founder, would be ultramontane in its outlook, even adopting at the behest of Pope Pius IX the Roman collar and the black cape for the priest (which is identical to the pope's, but in black).

Foundation of the Holy Cross Sisters (Marianites of Holy Cross)[link]

There is good evidence that Fr. Dujarie’s dream was to found a religious community of three societies, priests, brothers, and sisters under one rule and one superior general. Fr. Moreau made good on that vision by founding in 1841 a third society within the Congregation, that of the sisters. Taking his inspiration from Fr. Dujarie, Moreau named the societies the Salvatorists, the Josephites and the Marianites, after the three persons of the Holy Family. To this day, though in separate congregations, the priests, brothers and sisters of Holy Cross call themselves informally the Holy Cross Family.

Important dates in the life of Fr. Moreau[link]

• 1799 Born February 11, 1799 in Laigné-en-Belin, a village near Le Mans, France, the 9th of 14 children; his father was a wine merchant.
• 1814 Entered the diocesan seminary.
• 1821 Ordained a priest at age 22.
• 1835 Taught and served as assistant superior in Le Mans; named leader of the Brothers of St. Joseph founded by Fr. Jacques Dujarié. Founded the society of Auxiliary Priests.
• 1837 United the brothers and priests into the Association of Holy Cross.
• 1840 Professed vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.
• 1844 Received the vows of Léocadie Gascoin and three Marianites.
• 1857 Received papal approval of the constitutions for the Association, which became the Congregation of Holy Cross.
• 1866 Resigned as superior general, but continued an active preaching and retreat ministry.
• 1872 Celebrated his Golden Jubilee.
• 1873 Died on January 20 at age 73.
• 1955 The cause for his beatification was introduced in Rome.
• 2003 Proclaimed Venerable.
• 2007 Beatified in Le Mans

Legacy[link]

Moreau Catholic High School is located in Hayward, California, about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of San Francisco. It is among nine Catholic high schools in the Diocese of Oakland, and it is sponsored by the South-West Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Moreau Catholic is affiliated with many other Holy Cross educational institutions worldwide, but they are the only one named after the founder of Holy Cross, Blessed Father Basil Anthony Moreau.

Moreau Seminary, located on the University of Notre Dame campus, is the main seminary for the American congregation of the Holy Cross Fathers.

He is also credited with playing a key role in the foundation of the University of Notre Dame as well as Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. He had a vision for unifying the two same-sex schools, but was prevented from doing so by the Vatican in Rome due to their beliefs that men and women should not live together. He was eventually stripped of his responsibilities for the two schools.

In 1966, the Josephites (or Brothers of Holy Cross) founded the third institution of higher education in Notre Dame, Indiana to base its educational philosophy on the teachings of Basil Moreau. Holy Cross College began as a community college with the mission of helping students with the intent to transfer into one of the other two institutions. However, in 2003 Holy Cross College became a residential baccalaureate liberal arts college with its own reputation for superior teaching.

The University of Portland in Portland, Oregon is run by the Congregation of Holy Cross. It features the Moreau Center for Service and Leadership, which connects students to service opportunities throughout Portland and beyond.^[1]

The Holy Cross High School, New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisisana was founded by Fr. Basil Moreau. It was once Holy Cross College, but is now Holy Cross School. It is located on Paris Avenue.

See also[link]

• Julie Bertrand (Sister Marie de Saint-Basile)

References[link]

1. ^ http://www.up.edu/moreaucenter/

External links[link]

• Basil Moreau, newly published biography available from Ave Maria Press
• Basil Moreau bio at Patron Saint Index
• Venerable Father Basil Moreau - A Man Against His Times, at Catholicism.org
• The Brothers of Holy Cross vocation information
• The Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers
• Holy Cross Vocations, United States Province of Priests and Brothers
• The Fighting Jardiniers, a play by Bill Lawrence, commissioned by St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana

This article's factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please help improve the article by updating it. There may be additional information on the talk page. (December 2011)

Dora the Explorer
Logo
Genre	Children Adventure
Created by	Chris Gifford Valerie Walsh Valdes Eric Weiner
Directed by	George S. Chialtas Gary Conrad Henry Lenardin-Madden Sherie Pollack Arnie Wong
Voices of	Caitlin Sanchez, Kathleen Herles, Fatima Ptacek as Dora the Explorer Harrison Chad, Regan Mizrahi as Boots the Monkey Marc Weiner as Swiper Sasha Toto and Alexandria Suarez as Backpack
Theme music composer	Joshua Sitron Billy Straus
Country of origin	United States
Language(s)	English Spanish (Teaches Spanish)
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	118 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Chris Gifford
Editor(s)	Gayle McIntyre Karyn Finley Powell David Wigforss
Running time	30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	Nickelodeon, Nick Jr
Original run	August 14, 2000 (2000-08-14) – present
Chronology
Related shows	Go, Diego, Go!

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 cable television network, including the associated Nick Jr. channel. It aired on CBS until September 2006. A Spanish-dubbed version first aired as part of a Nick en español block on NBC Universal-owned Telemundo through September 2006; since April 2008, this version of the program has been carried on Univision as part of the Planeta U block.

Characters[link]

Dora Marquez[link]

Dora, the main character, is an eight-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. 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 team with Boots and her other friends and was coached by her father (who has never been depicted as having other employment). She loves and excels at soccer. Dora is also a musician, skilled at playing a wooden flute.

The character was voiced by Kathleen Herles until she was replaced by Caitlin Sanchez and replaced with another voice actress Fatima Ptacek.^[1]

Dora is a Latina. 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.^{[citation needed]}

Boots the Monkey[link]

Boots, the 5-year-old monkey 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 boots, 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 and is on Dora's team. He enjoys riding Rojo the fire truck.

Boots is athletic and energetic. He performs a series of acrobatic flips, somersaults, and cartwheels 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 riddles. Call me 'Mr. Riddles'" or "I love nuts, I love chocolate, I love my ball, 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.

Swiper the Fox[link]

Swiper is a sneaky fox in a blue mask and gloves, who is the antagonist of the TV series and appears in nearly every episode. He is voiced by Marc Weiner. 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, 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, 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 accent, and lives in a burrow 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 robot butterfly) 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.

His grandmother has been mentioned in two episodes: "A Letter For Swiper" and "Swiper the Explorer," and finally made an appearance in "Swiper's Favorite Things." His parents are never seen, and it is unclear whether or not he has any siblings.

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 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 heed Santa's warnings about swiping on Christmas. 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 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. 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. In the episode "Dora's World Adventure", Swiper helps Dora return the friendship bracelets 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 in France, Sami the hyena in Tanzania, Fomkah the bear in Russia, and Ying Ying the weasel 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, "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 playing.

Fiesta Trio[link]

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, a snail, and a frog. 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[link]

Dora's purple Backpack (originally voiced by Sasha Toro, and currently voiced by Alexandria Suarez beginning with the fifth season^[2]), provides whatever Dora needs to complete her quests. The backpack is a magic satchel, which has been known to produce large items, including multiple ladders, two complete space suits (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[link]

The Map (voiced by 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 that gives him Superman-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[link]

Isa the 9 year old Iguana 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 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 greats 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.

[edit] Tico the Squirrel

Tico the Squirrel (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, and is usually seen driving his little yellow car, 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[link]

Benny the Bull (voiced by Jake Burbage until 2009, now by Matthew Gumley) is a friend of Dora's who lives in a barn, loves to eat, and often rides in a hot air balloon. 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 just happened to contain a carton of milk and a baby bottle ("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.

Voices[link]

• Dora the Explorer: Kathleen Herles (2000-2004), Caitlin Sanchez (2007–2010), Fatima Ptacek (2012-Present)
• Boots: Regan Mizrahi (2007–2010)
• Backpack: Sasha Toro (2000-2004), Alexandria Suarez (2007–2010)
• Swiper: Marc Weiner (2007–2010)
• Map: Marc Weiner (2007–2010)
• Isa the Iguana: Ashley Fleming (2000-2004), Lenique Vincent (2007–2010)
• Tico the Squirrel: Jose Zelaya (2002-2004), Jean Carlos Celi (2007–2010)
• Benny The Bull: Matt Gumley (2007–2010)
• Big Red Chicken: Chris Gifford (2000-2004)
• Explorer Stars: Christiana Anbri, Henry Gifford, Katie Gifford, Aisha Shickler, Muhammed Cunningham, Jose Zeleya

• Jake Burbage
• Harrison Chad
• Andres Dieppa
• Felipe Dieppa
• Elaine Del Valle
• Eileen Galindo
• Chris Gifford
• K.J. Sanchez
• Adam Sietz
• Leslie Valdes
• Marc Weiner

Guests voices[link]

• John Leguizamo
• Cheech Marin
• Ricardo Montalbán
• Esai Morales
• Amy Principe
• Irwin Reese
• Chita Rivera (Dora's Fairytale Adventure, 2004)
• Antonia Rey
• Paul Rodriguez

Episode list[link]

Plot[link]

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

• 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[link]

In 2009, Mattel and Nickelodeon introduced a preteen version of Dora, with four friends named Naiya, Kate, Emma, and Alana, who call themselves the Explorer Girls.^[3] This is the "tween Dora" whose silhouette created some controversy when it debuted at the Nickelodeon website.^[4][5]

Foreign adaptations[link]

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

• Cantonese The Cantonese version (Chinese: 愛探險的朵拉; Cantonese Yale: Oi taam hím dīk Dó Lā; literally "Explore-loving Dora") is sold in Hong Kong. The bilingualism is Cantonese-English.

• Danish In the Danish 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 and Viasat.

• Dutch. In the Dutch language version, broadcast on Nickelodeon 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 version, Dora l'exploratrice, broadcast on TF1 in France and Télé-Québec 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 version broadcast on ABS-CBN 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 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 and Star Channel, 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. In this version, Dora teaches the viewers some English words and numbers.

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

• Irish. In the Irish language version, broadcast on the Irish station TG4, 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 version, broadcast on Italia 1 and on Nickelodeon in the subscription of Sky, 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 version, broadcast on Nick Japan, 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 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 version is broadcast on TV9. 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 via the Nick Jr. programming slot to subscribers of the ASTRO satellite TV service.

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

• Norwegian. In the Norwegian language version, the bilingualism is Norwegian-English.

• Polish. In the Polish language 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 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 version, broadcast on TNT and Nickelodeon, 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 version, broadcast on B92, the bilingualism is Serbian-Spanish. The series is called Dora istražuje (Dora is exploring).

• Spanish. There are different Spanish language versions for Latin America and Spain. In Dora la Exploradora, broadcast on Nickelodeon in Latin America (and until September 2006 on Telemundo in the USA; since April 2008 on Univisión), 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, Clan TVE and Nickelodeon; the characters speak mainly Spanish but will have commands and expressions in English.

• Swedish In the Swedish language version Dora- utforskaren the characters speak mainly Swedish but will have commands and expressions in English. It is broadcast on Nickelodeon and TV4.

• Tamil In the Tamil language version Dora The Explorer, the characters all speak Tamil, with some English interspersed. It is broadcast on a local kids programming channel Chutti TV, a channel run by the Sun Network

• Turkish In the Turkish language version Dora the characters speak mainly Turkish, Spanish and English but will have commands and expressions in Turkish. It is broadcast on Nickelodeon and CNBC-e.

Stage adaptations[link]

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. Both productions featured a version of the popular Gloria Estefan 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[link]

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 animated feature.^[6] 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[link]

On March 8, 2009, 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,^[7] but after a short controversy, the tween Dora was unveiled on March 16, 2009.^[8] The new pre-teen Dora may be used for one of the future seasons.

Dora the Explorer merchandise[link]

This section requires expansion.

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 in the United Kingdom.

Toys[link]

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 and Nickelodeon characters, including Dora the Explorer. Nickelodeon responded that they would introduce "third-party monitoring" of all manufacturers of products under its brands.^[9][10][11]

Books[link]

Dora the Explorer series[link]

1. Dora's Backpack (ISBN 978-0689847202)
2. Little Star (ISBN 978-0689847219)
3. Happy Mother's Day Mami! (ISBN 978-0689852336)
4. Meet Diego! (ISBN 978-0689859939)
5. Dora's Thanksgiving (ISBN 978-0689858420)
6. Dora Loves Boots (ISBN 978-0689863738)
7. Dora's Book of Manners (ISBN 978-0689865336)
8. Dora Goes to School (ISBN 978-0689864940)
9. Dora's Fairy-Tale Adventure (ISBN 978-0689870125)
10. Dora's Chilly Day (ISBN 978-0689867958)
11. Show Me Your Smile! (ISBN 978-0689871696)
12. Dora's Pirate Adventure (ISBN 978-0689875830)
13. Big Sister Dora! (ISBN 978-0689878466)
14. At the Carnival (ISBN 978-0689858413)
15. Dora's Costume Party! (ISBN 978-1416900108)
16. Dance to the Rescue (ISBN 978-1416902164)
17. Dora's Starry Christmas (ISBN 978-1416902492)
18. Super babies (ISBN 978-1416914853)
19. The Birthday Dance Party (ISBN 978-1416913030)
20. Dora's World Adventure (ISBN 978-1416924470)
21. Dora Climbs Star Mountain (ISBN 978-1416940593)
22. It's Sharing Day! (ISBN 978-1416915751)
23. Dora Had a Little Lamb (ISBN 978-1416933687)
24. Dora Saves Mermaid Kingdom! (ISBN 978-1416938415)
25. Dora and the Stuck Truck (ISBN 978-1416947998)

Ready To Read series – Level 1[link]

1. Dora's Picnic (ISBN 978-0689852381)
2. Follow Those Feet! (ISBN 978-0689852398)
3. Dora in the Deep Sea (ISBN 978-0689858451)
4. I Love My Papi! (ISBN 978-0689864957)
5. Say "Cheese!" (ISBN 978-0689864964)
6. The Halloween Cat (ISBN 978-0689867996)
7. Eggs for Everyone! (ISBN 978-0689871764)
8. Just Like Dora! (ISBN 978-0689876752)
9. I Love My Mami! (ISBN 978-1416906506)
10. Puppy Takes a Bath (ISBN 978-1416914839)
11. Around the World! (ISBN 978-1416924784)
12. Dora's Sleepover (ISBN 978-1416915089)
13. Dora Helps Diego! (ISBN 978-1416915096)
14. Dora's Perfect Pumpkin (ISBN 978-1416934387)
15. Dora's Mystery of the Missing Shoes (ISBN 978-1416938248)

A Lift-the-Flap Story[link]

• 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[link]

• 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!

Sticker books[link]

• Dora's Magic Watering Can (ISBN 978-1416947721)

DVDs and videos[link]

Video games[link]

Video games based on the 2000 television show Dora the Explorer were released. In Canada, Cheerios offered free Dora the Explorer the Game CD-ROMs in specially marked packages. However, packages sold in Quebec would only have the French version. Dora the Explorer: Barnyard Buddies is a video game released for the PlayStation 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.^[12]

Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet is an action-adventure video game, developed by Monkey Bar Games, published by Global Star Software and powered by Vicious Engine. The game was released for Gamecube in North America on October 13, 2005,^[13] and later in PAL regions on December 16, 2005. The Playstation 2 version was released on PAL regions on December 2, 2005, and later in North America in February 9, 2006.^[14] 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"-type game, a complete-the-pattern activity and a song playing game.^[15]

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.^[16] It was developed by Take-Two Interactive for the Nintendo DS and published by 2K Play in North America^[17] and Australia in 2009, and in Europe in 2010.

Dora the Explorer: Dora's Cooking Club is a cooking video game for the Nintendo DS. It was published by 2K Play in 2010.^[18] 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.^[19]

• Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Snow Princess is a video game that was released for the PlayStation 2 and the Wii 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.

References in other media and parodies[link]

Hip hop artist Ludacris made a few references to Dora in his song "Number One Spot", rapping "Explora like Dora, those swipers can't swipe me".

In an episode of Drake & Josh titled "The Storm", character Crazy Steve is seen watching Dora. He repeatedly yells at her as to why she is asking him questions.

The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy makes reference to Dora in episode "Pandora's Lunchbox", where a character bearing a suspicious resemblance and the same name as Dora tries to convince people to open her lunchbox, but her personality is nearly the exact opposite of Dora's, being evil and wanting to plunge the world into never-ending suffering. Billy also describes Grim's favorite show, which is nearly a summary of Dora.

On the series Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, imaginary friend Eduardo watches a show named "Lauren is Explorin'".

On Saturday Night Live's TV Funhouse sketch entitled "Maraka", created by Robert Smigel, the Dora-like character is called Maraka, while the Boots-like character is called Mittens. The storyline resembles an episode from Season 2 of Go, Diego, Go!, "Macky the Macaroni Penguin". The sketch made fun of the pauses in the show for the child viewer to react, the translations from Spanish to English (and Chinese, German, Portuguese, Hebrew, Swahili, Xhosa, Korean and Russian) in Maraka's sentences and had many sporadic events. Maraka was voiced by Becca Lish, who imitated Kathleen Herles' voice for Dora.

Saturday Night Live also featured a Dora reference in their MTV 4 sketch. A rapper (played by Zach Braff) talks about his Dora the Explorer tattoo. He mentioned he likes calling her "Explora". When asked why he got the tattoo, he said he had a lot in common with Dora as they both, "grew up on the streets". Another character mentions he grew up in the suburbs. "Yeah, but they had streets", the rapper replies.

On an episode of The Daily Show, during the CNBC controversy, Jon Stewart makes a mock appearance on Dora the Explorer, in response to Mad Money's Jim Cramer's appearances on The Today Show and Morning Joe. In the appearance, Dora casually calls both Cramer and Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough pendejos, and Boots offers to throw feces on both.^[20]

Comedian Brian Regan once poked fun at Dora the Explorer in his stand-up, repetitively singing "I'm the Map!"

Many fan-made parodies exist on YouTube that include Dora dancing the Soulja Boy,^[21] in a music video for "Leam like a Cholo",^[22] and asking Brad Pitt on a date.^[23] These parodies have been very popular, generating over several million views each.^{[citation needed]}

On Bubble Gang, the parody of the show was Chickadora The Exploiter, portrayed by Michael V. and Diego.

On Goin' Bulilit if the casts are on Location, The combined parody of the show and Nora Aunor was Nora The Explorer, portrayed by Chacha Canete.

On Eat Bulaga, the opening number for November 28, 2009 Allan K. as Dora the Rat Killer while he holds the Stuffed Monkey along with Wally Bayola as Spider-Man.

A parody of Dora called 'Doray Alaskadora' is seen on Wow Mali. Doray also makes frequent appearances alongside host Joey de Leon and the monkey puppet Enchong Go.

On Fred: The Movie, when Fred is riding in the car with his dad, his dad turns on a TV in the car. Dora is on the TV.

At the beginning of a Law & Order: Los Angeles episode, the kids watch Dora the Explorer in the car.

On an episode of Cartoon Network's MAD series, the segment "Dora the Explorer in the Road to Recovery" features Dora throwing up on backpack. After, backpack's gurgling voice was saying "I'm the backpack!" and scared Boots. On another episode of MAD called "Are You Karate Kidding Me?", Dre's backpack winds up to be Dora's.

References[link]

	Nickelodeon portal
	Television portal
	Animation portal

External links[link]

• Dora The Explorer on Nick Jr. Australia
• Dora The Explorer On Nick Jr. US
• Dora The Explorer On Nick Jr. UK
• Dora The Explorer on Treehouse
• Dora The Explorer On Nick Canada
• Unofficial British fansite.
• Article on the value of Dora the Explorer as a Spanish learning tool
• Dora the Explorer at the Internet Movie Database