Dora the Explorer: Preschool Geographic Educator

Abstract

Dora the Explorer is a twenty-three-minute television program for preschoolers viewed by millions every day in many countries. These programs are also marketed as videotapes and DVDs. This seven-year-old Latina, bilingual cartoon character teaches many things by interacting with the young viewers. On every program Dora and friends have to go someplace to solve a problem. Map is a cartoon character who helps viewers read the map and tells Dora where to go next. Some episodes are particularly geographic. Geographers need to evaluate the contributions of Dora the Explorer to geographic education for preschool children, a little-studied subject.