Product Review

Dora's too smart a cookie to leave Santa standard-issue snacks for Christmas. But when he slips through the chimney without spotting his gift, it's up to her and buddies Backpack, Boots, and the trusty Map to battle their way through snow-capped mountains and an icy river to ring his North Pole bell. Even at Christmastime, TV's most intrepid cartoon Latina is no slouch--she takes 2- to 6-year-olds to task on shape identification, Spanish vocabulary, and more during Project Present Drop . With her encouragement, Swiper the Fox surrenders Santa's gift as quickly as he five-fingers it, and elves come caroling when the merry mission's complete. Dora's gift to her devoted play-along-at-home pals is a second episode. In "Rapido, Tico!" the gang tackles land, lake, sky, and snow to reclaim Boots's toy fire truck. --Tammy La Gorce