Keep Dora and her gang close to your eyes

CHENNAI: As kids who waited with bated breath for their “favourite” cartoon character Dora to make an appearance, they fared badly in a Dora quiz that was conducted at Vijaya Optical House at Anna Nagar on Saturday afternoon. When the tots, who had gathered at the launch of the Nickelodeon range of eyewear for children, were asked who Dora’s best friend was or how old she was, all they did was stare blankly. Some of them timidly waved their Nickelodeon flags hoping to score points that way.But when Dora showed up with her trademark purple backpack (after numerous failed countdowns), the kids reestablished their love for the eight-year-old explorer by literally pouncing on her. As they enthusiastically posed for photographs, some of them were obviously confused about how Dora had managed to come off their TV sets. Earlier, a hurried drawing competition was held and three kids who did the best job of drawing themselves with Dora were handed temptingly bright orange Nickelodeon goodie bags. The new eyewear range will feature other popular Nicktoons such as SpongeBob Squarepants and Ninja Hattori in vibrant colours including red, blue and yellow. Each pair is hypoallergenic and has a protective UV coating.The eyewear range, which including over 35 styles, is in the price range of `650 – `900 and is available at most major optical stores across the country. Thirty more varieties of Dora the Explorer sunglasses are touted to be launched soon.