Entertainment

Queens native and ‘Dora the Explorer’ voice adds spinoff

Fátima Ptacek

Fátima Ptacek

’TOONED IN: ‘Dora and Friends’ premieres next year with star Fátima Ptacek (inset), who’s also the voice of ‘Dora the Explorer.’ (
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Fans of Nickelodeon’s animated hit “Dora the Explorer” might recognize the voice of the slightly older, 10-year-old Dora starring in a new spinoff called “Dora and Friends: Into the City.”

That’s because that familiar voice is none other than Fátima Ptacek, who’s been the voice of Dora for almost three years — and will continue to do both shows simultaneously.

(“Dora and Friends” is slated to premiere in the fall of 2014.)

The 12-year-old Queens resident, who’s in the seventh grade, says she had to make a few minor adjustments to play the “older” Dora, since the beloved character in “Dora the Explorer” — who interacts with her monkey friend, Boots, while educating children — is eight years old.

“I definitely changed my voice, which has a higher pitch for the younger Dora,” says Ptacek. “For ‘Dora and Friends,’ Dora is a little bit more my natural speaking voice.

“I’m trying to show that Dora is a little bit more mature now,” says Ptacek, who’s the youngest of five (she has three brothers, a sister and “an annoying dog who’s a rascal”).

Ptacek has already completed one episode of “Dora and Friends” — in which Dora is joined by her human pals Naiya, Emma, Kate, Alana and Pablo.

The spinoff (no Boots here), is set in an urban environment, as opposed to the jungle setting of “Dora the Explorer.”

“In the new show the adventures she has are a bit more realistic,” Ptacek says. “For instance, Dora holds a benefit concert for a charity organization and helps a puppy shelter. She now walks to school or takes the subway . . . and calls her parents from a smart phone.

“It definitely has little touches of fantastical things here and there, like ‘Dora the Explorer,’ ” Ptacek says. “Now, Dora has a magical charm bracelet as opposed to a backpack . . . and she has regular human friends, kids her own age. In the younger version, Boots is a little younger than Dora and she’ not only teaching viewers but she’s also teaching Boots little things.

“Now that Dora is with the other kids, they’re just as talented, smart and inspiring as Dora,” she says. “They all feed off each other and all teach the viewers.

Ptacek says she has some input into how the older Dora is portrayed. “Sometimes, with some of the lines, they’re not exactly sure how I should be reading it,” she says, “and I’ll tell them, ‘You know what, this is how kids speak these days.’ ”