'Dora and the Lost City of Gold' is a rare opportunity for Latino representation in Hollywood

If you want to quickly understand the enduring appeal and impact of Dora the Explorer - who gets the live-action treatment in this weekend's "Dora and the Lost City of Gold" - director James Bobin has a story for you.

"My daughter knows Spanish because of Dora," he told The Times during a press day for the film. "When she was little, I remember saying to her once, 'What's your favorite animal?' And she said, 'Ardilla.' And I went, 'A deer?' and got a picture from a book of a deer. And she goes, 'No, no, no, no, ardilla' and pointed out the window [because] 'ardilla' in Spanish is squirrel."

In fact, Dora has taught languages to millions of preschoolers worldwide since her debut in 2000. In the Latin American countries where the show airs, along with many of the other 100-plus countries that broadcast the show, she teaches children English. Her show has