There's just something about Dora.

If you have preschoolers in the house, you already know about the little Latina girl with the pageboy hairdo. She has a knack for keeping kids glued to the TV for hours on end. On the plus side, she's also educational and interactive. As each story progresses, Dora asks questions of viewers and then waits for a response. Little ones feel like they're part of the story.

This new DVD includes four (very) colorful episodes, each blending themes of music, school, and the Spanish language. The format is similar to a computer game, in that a little pointer clicks on various things throughout the stories.

And a good dose of Dora will cure anyone of self-esteem issues! She's encouraging, optimistic and cheerful. ("You're great at speaking Spanish!"). However, grown-ups who listen to these bubbly stories for extended periods of time may experience brain freeze. They're just so happy!

This DVD includes:

1. La Maestra de Musica. Dora and pal Boots (a monkey who wears red boots) are zipping along to school one morning and come across their music teacher riding her bike. They all sing a little song, but when the teacher – a.k.a. "la maestro de musica" – hops back on her bike, the chain breaks! "I need to figure out the quickest way to get to school," she laments. "If I only had a map." As luck would have it, Dora never travels without her trusty (and tuneful) map. To get to school, the trio must go through a little town and over a musical mountain. The teacher climbs a nearby tree to locate the town, and they grab a ride on a passing bus. So it goes until they cross the countryside and reach the school. It's all about working together and solving problems in a calm, practical way. No panic allowed! This episode features many songs, including "The Wheels on the Bus," sung partly in Spanish. We also get to meet Dora's talking backpack.

2. Boots to the Rescue. Dora wrote a cool song for music class, but oh no! She left it at home. So she calls Boots, who locates the song and heads off to take it to Dora at school. As in the first episode, Boots must do a bit of traveling to get there. The Up-and-Down Jungle teaches kids the Spanish words for "up" and "down". A henhouse teaches Spanish words for "open" and "close". In the Robot House, Boots helps to get things working again. And he encounters many little creatures along the way, including Swiper the Fox and Rocket Star, a flying star who recovers the song after it's whisked away by the wind. Lots of music and singing make this a fun episode.

3. The Happy Old Troll. Dora shows viewers her "Happy Box" – things that make her happy. When she and Boots encounter a grumpy old troll (who resembles the guitar player in ZZ Top), they're determined to cheer him up. So they set out to find a few things that'll have him doing his "happy dance" again – fireworks, a purple flower, and flying horses. Their destination? Play Park. One again, they consult their trusty map, who says they'll have to travel through Red Hill and Fish Lake to get there. They meet assorted characters along the way, including dogs, cats, pigs, a big red fish, and a cow with some balloon issues.

4. A Letter for Swiper. When Special Delivery Bird crash-lands and breaks her glasses, she's in dire straits trying to deliver letters to everyone. So she enlists the help of Dora, Boots, and the viewers to help out. And of course, they ask…the map! The Extra Special Letters need to go to the Nutty Forest, Benny's Barn, and Blueberry Hill (where Swiper the Fox lives). As with the other episodes, the gang encounters various characters, all of them singing and dancing their way to a happy ending.

PRESCHOOLERS (ages 2-5): Dora's a great role model for both girls and boys, because she meets challenges head on and doesn't shy away from adventure. She's never afraid to ask her friends for help, and we all know how important that is as you get older. Sometimes Dora and Boots get a little pushy when asking for viewer feedback, but maybe preschoolers need a nudge now and then. All in all, this is a bright, fun DVD that's tailor-made for preschoolers.

GRADE-SCHOOLERS (ages 6-10): This DVD is really geared for preschoolers, but kids on the younger edge of this age group might find it appealing.

TWEEN/TEEN (ages 11+): The only way tweens and teens would watch this DVD is if they're in a Mystery Science Theater mode, making fun of the characters and their various problems.

BONUS FEATURES:
- Sneak Peek: Wonder Pets. Part animation, part live-action, these adorable pets (a turtle, duckling, and guinea pig) are sure to delight preschoolers. They're so cute! Coming to DVD, Spring 2007.
- Other Sneak Peeks at preschooler favorite DVDs currently in stores.
- Sneak peek at My Little Pony: A Very Pony Place. Two For the Sky; Come Back, Lily Lightly; Positively Pink. Coming to DVD, Spring 2007.

Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries.