Dora is one of my girls very favourite TV characters - both girls regard her fondly both in her original Dora the Explorer mode, and in her slightly more grown up Dora and Friends style. Unlike many TV characters, my two girls don't obsess about Dora, more that they respect her; they won't pester to watch and yet when Dora just happens to appear on the television, they sit quietly with smiles on their faces - quite unlike many of the other characters they know and celebrate.
Dora and her puppy Perrito came to live with us and both girls have enjoyed playing with them. This Dora and Friends Train & Play Dora and Perrito doll from Fisher-Price features both Dora (in her more mature reincarnation) and her puppy who performs tricks and responds to Dora's commands. The Fisher-Price Dora and Perrito set allows your child to take Perrito for a walk, teach him to sit, lie down, dance and even high-five. Dora can speak commands to her dog and uses different arm movements to initiate new tricks.
We were all impressed by the range of tricks that Perrito performs, and the range of phrases and songs that Dora speaks. Perrito is attached to Dora by a lead (without this attached, Perrito won't move) which somewhat limits their mobility but the girls do enjoy seeing him perform tricks on demand - they giggle if he falls over when trying to show off. Perrito also comes with a little toy which, if you wave it by his nose, encourages him to sit up and beg or perform a new trick.
Holly enjoys taking Dora's shoes and clothes off as well as styling Dora's hair. Lara has taken it upon herself to try and get Dora to walk with her dog...this is particularly tricky because Dora is actually quite unstable on her own which is why both girls usually play with this toy together - one to hold Dora and one to perform tricks with the dog either by pressing the puppy design on Dora's top, or by moving her arm.
There is now quite a range of available Dora and Friends toys; its nice to see Dora get a new lease of life. At around £35-£40 this toy is quite expensive for a role play doll but it will make Dora fans like Lara and Holly smile - especially when Dora and Perrito share a cute puppy kiss together!
Note: Dora doesn't come with a hairbrush, the one in the photo is a toy Holly uses on all of her dolls!
