DORA: Episodes 3.1-3.3

Here's the decision. This new Paramount+ reboot of the beloved DORA THE EXPLORER keeps everything little ones loved about the original: Dora and her monkey Boots, adventures that talk straight to the viewer and ask for help, and gentle lessons in Spanish along the way. It's well made, warmly animated, and full of catchy little songs.

It also carries a caution. The stories lean on magic — a mouse tooth fairy with an enchanted toothbrush, and a paintbrush that brings drawings to life. Movieguide reads those elements as pagan and occult, and that's why the recommendation is discretion for older children rather than a clean bill for the whole nursery.

So: if you're happy to sit with your young child and talk about what's real and what's make-believe, these episodes offer plenty of good-hearted fun. If magical themes are a line you'd rather not cross, this one may be a wait-and-see.

Dora and Boots are back for a third season of short, bright adventures. In one, Dora loses a tooth and gets a visit from Ratoncito Perez, a mouse version of the tooth fairy — until a hungry cat and a broken magical toothbrush complicate the day.

Other episodes send the pair to a farmer's market to help a caterpillar named Carlos, and to an art fair where a friend's paintbrush turns out to be more than it seems. Each is a small quest, powered by teamwork and a song or two.

Three stars, and here's what they mean. This reboot is genuinely well-animated, with noticeable improvements over the original — though the updated look has a somewhat unusual visual style you may or may not warm to. The real standout is the music: each episode gets a short, catchy song that lands.

Not everything clears the bar of the original. The new theme song doesn't hold up to the one families remember. And the bilingual teaching is uneven — it explains some Spanish words well, but often leaves the viewer guessing at others. Still, for its young audience, this is a polished, cheerful, capably made show.

At heart, these episodes preach something Scripture preaches: love your neighbor. Dora and Boots set out again and again to help everyone they can, giving gifts to those who deserve them — even to Swiper, the show's resident nemesis. That generosity toward an adversary is a lovely thing to model for small children.

But the magic is woven right into the plots, and parents should know it. The first episode's mouse tooth fairy uses a magical toothbrush to turn lost teeth into presents. The third episode features a magical paintbrush that creates life. Movieguide reads these as pagan and occult elements — the reason this review recommends discretion for older children rather than waving the whole family through.

None of that erases the warmth. It simply means this is a show best watched with a grown-up nearby who can help a child sort the good message from the make-believe magic around it. The show's steady instinct — care for everyone, even the one who wrongs you — echoes the words of Jesus: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31).

This new DORA is bright, kind, and genuinely well-made, with a big-hearted lesson about loving your neighbor — and a thread of magic that earns a caution. For families who'll watch alongside their little ones and talk it through, it's a wait and see. Looking for something with no reservations attached? Try our latest family-friendly picks.