New Dora The Explorer Fall Toys Showcased at Miami-Style Fiesta With Celebrity Moms and Their Children

MIAMI, Aug. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fisher-Price – a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) - and Nickelodeon  introduced the new Dora The Explorer Dress Up Collection Doll and Dora Fiesta Favorites Kitchen yesterday at a Miami-style fiesta with celebrity moms and their children. To preview the newest fall collection, Karen Martinez, co-host of Univision's TV show "Viva La Familia/Todobebe," celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein, owner of Miami's Michy's and Sra. Martinez restaurants, and Roxana Garcia, on-air talent for Univision radio station AMOR, joined Dora for a lunchtime celebration at the historic Moore Building in Miami's Design District.

"Dora is the perfect friend to inspire an adventure," Ms. Martinez said. "She is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. Having the chance to dress her up for these adventures – on a rainy day, at school, at the beach, celebrating at Abuela's birthday party and with friends – is a great addition."

Dora greeted her friends at the event, which was beautifully set in a modern, Miami-style space featuring vibrant colors and charming details.   The guests enjoyed a tapas hour with special treats and a presentation by Michelle Bernstein, who described the inspiration behind the Latin cuisine that was served. Children donned chef hats and "prepared" special meals at Dora Fiesta Kitchen stations. The new kitchen features Dora's voice and her own recipe cards! A magical story time experience followed the tasty snacks and immersed young guests in stories featured in the Dora Dress Up Doll Collection.  

Roxana Garcia's mother and daughters acted out excerpts from "Happy Birthday, Abuela" – one of five storybooks included with the Dora Dress Up Collection Doll line.  Colombia-born actress and model Karen Martinez ended the storytelling with "It's Friendship Day" and shared her own childhood experiences of dressing up her dolls and imagining a world of adventures with them.  The children received Dora dolls and joined Martinez on stage before heading off to a photo session with Dora.

"Dora is one of the world's most beloved and culturally relevant preschool characters and through our partnership with Nickelodeon we are proud to translate her adventurous spirit and core essence through our magical toy collection," says Diana Dunn-Graves, vice president, marketing, Fisher-Price. "The new fall offerings will give children so many ways to play and learn by exploring two of their favorite play patterns – kitchen role-play and dress up."

It's easy for children to prepare meals for a birthday bash, picnic, backyard barbeque or to cook up just about anything with Dora's Fiesta Favorites Kitchen. The hugely popular Dora's Talking Kitchen first introduced interactive kitchen play to Dora's fans and now the new Fiesta Favorites takes the role-play adventure to special occasions.  Now kids can join in preparing favorite foods for special events, just like mom. The kitchen includes a double-sided "fiesta recipe card" to place in the kitchen window when 'cooking' delicious meals like tacos, hamburgers, huevos rancheros, and more! Dora talks through each recipe with relevant phrases. The Fiesta Favorites Kitchen includes a refrigerator, oven, stovetop, grill, sink and a phone play piece. With more than 60 English and Spanish phrases, and 20 play pieces, little chefs will want to cook and play all day! ($89.99/ 2 years +)

Dora has always been the perfect friend to take on any adventure and now girls can help her explore in style with the Dora Dress Up Collection Doll.  Featuring beautiful long hair and real eyelashes, the 15-inch poseable Dora will be every little girl's new best friend, engaging them with styling action to match her storybook adventures. Girls can dress Dora in fashionable "real-life" outfits that mirror what today's girls are wearing themselves. They can also follow Dora's adventures in the included storybook, "It's Friendship Day!"  The Dora Dress Up Collection Doll comes dressed in a stylish dress, faux leather boots, scarf and jacket, and sports a bow in her hair.  The doll also comes with an extra outfit – a cute printed t-shirt and jean skirt – and a faux suede bag, as well as a brush. For added play value, the doll includes a 32-page storybook that is exclusive to the Dora Dress Up Collection Doll and features a unique art style new to Dora books.  ($49.99/ 3 years +)

Dora the Explorer is the number-one preschool show on television in the U.S.  An international success, the series ranks among the top-rated shows in nearly every market in the world including broadcast and cable. Dora is broadcast in 151 markets and translated into 30+ languages.

All three celebrity hosts are Dora fans, with their own children and causes close to their hearts. Argentina-born Roxana Garcia has two children; Karen Martinez, married to singer Juanes, has two daughters and a son; and Michelle Bernstein, a Miami native of Jewish and Latin descent, has opened a Miami chapter of Common Threads, a program designed to inspire culinary abilities in underprivileged children ages 8-11.  

About Fisher-Price:

Fisher-Price, Inc., a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAT) located in East Aurora, N.Y., is the leading brand of infant and preschool toys in the world.  The company's legacy of high quality toys has enhanced early childhood development for more than 80 years. The Fisher-Price Play Laboratory, celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, was the first child research center of its kind in the industry. Herman Fisher established the Play Lab to observe real children playing with the company's toys during various stages of development. The Play Lab remains at the heart of product development today. Some of the Company's best-known "classic" brands include Little People®, Power Wheels® and View-Master®.  Fisher-Price is also a leading developer of baby gear products (infant swings, bouncers, high chairs), as well as a wide array of character-based toys inspired by high quality children's programming such as Dora the Explorer™, Kung Fu Panda 2™, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Penguins of Madagascar™ and Thomas & Friends™. The Company's web site, www.fisher-price.com, provides valuable information and resources to parents and grandparents.

About Nickelodeon Consumer Products:

Nickelodeon Consumer Products manages the world's number-one TV-based licensing business,  representing leading properties such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer, and managing merchandising for Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTVN International, and Spike TV.

Nickelodeon, now in its 32nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 16 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

© 2011 Viacom International Inc. All rights reserved. Nickelodeon, Dora the Explorer and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

SOURCE Fisher-Price, Inc.