Product Review

Dora sticks to the formula that finds kids flocking to her Nick TV show in this double feature, making it a foolproof proposition for a fuss-free 50 or so minutes. The title episode catches up with the plucky, huge-eyed Latina as she and Boots rally to rescue a banished prince. Along the way, they enlist preschoolers' help to abre (open) forbidding gates and doors and count to three in Spanish. "El Coqui" keeps the same helpers spellbound as they finagle, with Dora, through three obstacles to return a lost frog home. An improbable array of skill builders factor into these shows (math, Spanish, map reading, and others), but they're all as easily evidenced as they are effective. In the end, Dora not only saves the prince, she also saves parents from concerns that cartoons like hers will turn their kids' brains to mush. --Tammy La Gorce