Dora is a true heroine–an Indiana Jones for the preschool set. She is a born explorer, always eager for the next adventure. Though she’s only seven, she serves as something of a big sister to her best friend, Boots, and to the viewer as well. With her pride in being bilingual, her respect for her elders, her growing understanding of her culture and heritage, and her love for storytelling and music, Dora embodies the Latina spirit.
Boots is a furry monkey and Dora’s best friend. He’s like a worshipful younger brother. Sweet and loving, he likes to hold Dora’s hand. Unlike Dora, Boots sometimes makes wrong choices and gets discouraged. When he is feeling down, he always bounces back quickly with one of his flips. No one can make Dora laugh the way Boots can. He’s the best friend you always wanted.
Backpack is a friend who accompanies Dora on all her adventures. Just like Dora, Backpack can speak both Spanish and English. Backpack is a real go-getter with a can-do spirit. As Backpack says in her signature song, “Anything that you might need, I’ve got inside for you.” From binoculars to sticky tape, Backpack’s loaded up with everything Dora might need for her quest–though it’s up to the viewer to pick out the item that will solve the problem at hand.
A funny, bouncy rolled-up Map that lives inside Backpack’s side pocket and peeks out whenever we call “Map!” Map speaks English and is an incredibly useful helper for our young explorers because he always knows where to go and how to get there. Whenever Dora asks us to check the Map for directions, he plots out our journey with a simple graphic that shows our route.
Swiper is a quick, sneaky fox who tries to swipe things that Dora needs to complete her quest. From delicious cookies to Boots’ boot – if it’s valuable, Swiper wants to swipe it. Then he hides it. Swiper serves an important curriculum role, as he always sets up our hidden picture games. Swiper is also a master of disguise and it isn’t easy to catch him. In fact, the only way to stop Swiper before he swipes something is for Dora, Boots and the audience to call out, “Swiper, no swiping!” three times.
A Spanish-speaking squirrel and a good friend to Dora. While Tico is young and playful, he can also be brave and heroic. Since Tico can operate any vehicle–everything from a bicycle-powered plane to a Super Spy boat-car–he has been known to save the day in a crisis. He is often found driving in his little yellow car or in his tree at the Nutty Forest.
A lovable bull with a big heart. He is a loyal buddy to the rest of the gang. Benny speaks English and lives with his grandma in Benny’s Barn. Benny is also a bit accident-prone. He once got stuck in a wall and his loud hiccups are famous. But Benny can always count on the viewer to get him out of a scrape.
A smart iguana who is very cool and quite mature. She makes her way through the forest slowly and thoughtfully. Always a step ahead of the game, she is ready to provide essential information that Dora and Boots need to complete their journey.
A cymbal-playing snail, an accordion-playing grasshopper and a drum-playing frog make up this festive musical combo, who pop up to play a celebratory riff every time Dora and Boots make it past an obstacle
