Dot (Dot and the Kangaroo)



Dot is a cute and tomboyish little girl from Australia who goes on adventures usually involving animals in her country like a kangaroo, with the song "Red Kangaroo". Dot is the main character and protagonist of the posthumous novel "Dot and the Kangaroo" by Ethel C. Pedley and the 1977 film of the same name and the eight sequels that followed directed by Yoram Gross.

Dot is five years old according to the book. However, Dot's age is seldom mentioned in the films and the fact that her hair and dress vary in length from "Dot and the Koala" onwards suggests that she ages slightly over the course of the series. It is possible that Dot is an orphan from "Dot and the Whale" onwards as her home and family do not make any further appearances after "Dot and Keeto".

Dot is voiced in animated form by Barbara Frawley from "Dot and the Kangaroo" until "Dot and the Bunny" and by Robyn Moore from "Dot and the Koala" onwards. Ashley Ayre plays Dot in live-action form in "Around the World with Dot" and "Dot and Keeto".

Appearance
Dot is usually barefooted and wears a yellow dress which is sometimes torn or patched, with white collar and sleeves and white vest and panties underneath. Dot's collar and sleeves appear to vary between white, pale-yellow and cream from "Around the World with Dot" onwards. Dot maintains this appearance whatever the circumstances and wherever she goes, even while sleeping at home in "Dot and the Koala" and in live-action form in "Dot and Keeto". Dot's dress appears green with white collar and sleeves in a theatrical poster for "Around the World with Dot" and completely yellow in other movie posters, and briefly turns completely red in "Dot Goes to Hollywood".

Dot wears a pink and white chequered shirt, blue jeans and black and white shoes in live-action form in "Around the World with Dot" and her clothes change several times in "Dot Goes to Hollywood", most notably a pink-collared purple dress. Dot also wears a white helmet and space-suit with brown gloves and grey boots over her normal clothes in "Dot in Space".

Personality
Dot cares very much for all creatures great and small and particularly the kangaroo who finds her when she is lost in "Dot and the Kangaroo". Dot will go to many lengths, such as going to Antarctica or even to Space, at the risk of her own life and freedom to help the animal kingdom and those in need. Dot also has a passion for dancing and singing.

Dot is shown to be capable of great courage and to stand up for the rights of the animal kingdom and even her own rights if needs must and point out the errors of the ways of other people or animals. Dot is also shown to seize the initiative whenever this or any of her other qualities are required of her, whatever the consequences. These qualities stem from Dot learning of the hostility of the Animal Kingdom towards humans in "Dot and the Kangaroo" and she usually has to deal with this problem despite her ongoing devotion to helping the animals.

Dot's adventures usually feature Dot going on a journey in search or aid of a particular animal, encountering and helping other animals along the way. Every now and again, Dot is required by the animals to solve a particular problem or to join forces with them or other humans to rebel against a common enemy or fight for a particular cause. Dot sometimes ends up getting herself into some form of trouble or conflict and has to turn to the animals, other humans or even her own initiative to put things right.

Dot is shown to survive in sub-zero temperatures in her usual appearance in "Around the World with Dot" and "Dot and the Whale" and she even learns how to survive underwater in the latter. Dot is also seen to sometimes rely on a magic root called the "Food of Understanding" which enables her to talk to animals or magic in general which is sometimes what leads to her adventures.

​Dot and the Kangaroo
The first film begins with Dot lost in the woods, having gone off in search of a gully full of grass for her bunnies with her parents' permission only to fall down a steep ridge and encounter several wild animals, aimlessly running and walking about for a while. The frightened child is found by a mother kangaroo who is searching for her own lost joey. The kangaroo offers Dot the "Food of Understanding" which enables her to talk to animals upon consumption so long as she does not eat too much of it. After explaining their respective troubles to each other, the kangaroo offers to help Dot find her lost way and hops through the forest with Dot in her pouch while Dot and other animals sing "Red Kangaroo". Dot and the kangaroo make the water-hole their first stop as a means of sustainance and rest and meet various other singing animals such as ducks and mice. The animals are initially startled by the presence of a human and are afraid to go near the water.

Around the World with Dot / Dot and Santa Claus
Dot starts off as a live-action child and has an older brother named Ben with whom she is looking after the animals in their garden when Danny the Swagman arrives after unintentionally kicking a football into Ben's bucket. Dot and Ben introduce themselves and all the animals to Danny. Dot also tells Danny about her adventures in "Dot and the Kangaroo" and remains bitter over the kangaroo's sudden departure and missing joey. Dot, Ben and Danny proceed to dance and build a sleigh together while Danny sings the song "Ingenuity" as Dot recently heard about some local animals that were sent to Japan. Danny dresses up as Santa Claus and tethers Dozey-Face and Grumble-Bones the kangaroos to the sleigh. Danny and Dot sit on the sleigh and suddenly they and the kangaroos become animated where upon Danny really is Santa Claus and Dot regains her usual appearance. They fly towards Ayre's Rock and stop by a stream for sustainance and they meet some frogs. Dot and Santa set off on their journey and Dot sings as they fly over Sydney and Queensland before leaving Australia altogether. Dot and Santa's journey sees them encounter a passenger aircraft, an erupting volcano and a whale who takes them as close to Japan as possible without encountering whalers. No sooner are they back in the air, they fly over Mount Fuji and encounter a green dragon. Grumble-Bones fights the dragon which turns out to be a kite and Dot and her friends are mistaken for a kite as well

Dot and the Bunny
The film begins with an un-named live-action girl (Anna Quin), reading a picture book of "Dot and the Kangaroo" and understandably finds some the story distressing so she proceeds to turn out the lights and fall asleep. The girl immediately begins to have a dream in which she sneaks out of bed and out of her bedroom window and ventures into the woods. The child finally settles on a rock as the focus gradually switches to Dot searching for the lost joey of the kangaroo who rescued her previously. Dot calling out for the joey only causes her to be mocked by a kookaburra and she is led further off track by some koalas explaining their way of life to her and tricking her into tasting their gum leaves. Dot is naturally disgusted but patiently explains to the koalas about her search for the missing joey, unaware that a rabbit is eavesdropping on her. After hearing Dot's intentions, the koalas decide to be more helpful and suggest that Dot should go and see the platytpus and that they are expecting her kangaroo friend in their territory the next day. Dot promises to be there as well as she thanks the koalas and sets off to find the platypus but the rabbit follows her, pretending to be the missing joey. The rabbit bumps into Dot and she inspects him all over, quickly refuting his claims of being a kangaroo because he does not have a pouch. Dot is amused at the rabbit's antics and calls him "Funny-Bunny" and allows him to accompany her on her journey. As Dot and Funny-Bunny make their way through the Bush, they sing "Roaming Free" in merriment.

Dot and the Koala
Despite appearing in the title sequence, Dot does not actually appear in the film until Bruce the Koala and Wally the Wombat come to her home while she is asleep and wake her to appeal to her for help while Sheila the Kangaroo and the echidnas distract Dot's dog and chickens. By this time, Bruce and the bush animals have overheard Mayor Percy the pig's intention of modernising the local town by building a dam through the bush. The pros and cons of such an idea have led to debates, protests, a riot and finally a failed attempt by Bruce and co. to sabotage the construction of the dam.

Dot and Keeto
Dot starts off as a live-action version of her usual self, venturing beyond her home when she notices her brother Simon jumping on an ant-hill and attempting to drown a caterpillar in a watering-can. Dot stands up to Simon and pushes him over for unfairly torturing bugs and he runs away. Dot also rescues some bugs from a spider's web while searching for the "Food of Understanding" that the kangaroo previously gave her as a means of talking to animals. However, Dot cannot remember if the root was red or green and opts for the red one against the warnings of a nearby possum. This turns Dot back into animated form but also causes her to grow enormous before shrinking down to the size of a bug. The tiny Dot is immediately shaken by the tremors of Simon striding off in a huff and she attempts to climb onto his shoe only to shaken off and dangle by his shoe-laces. Dot lets go and watches Simon stride off into the distance before taking the time to take in what has happened to her. Dot is initially undaunted about being small and sings "It's the Little Things that Matter" in appreciation. However, things turn nasty when Dot is targeted by a crow and a cat both at the same time and she also realises the reality of having to climb and grab onto various objects. Dot follows Simon home and slips through the crack in the door just in time to see Simon raiding the cookie jar against their mother's wishes. Simon drops a cookie and Dot eats a bit of it and puts another bit in her pocket. Dot's mother comes to sweep the hallway and Dot tries to get her attention only to be swept up and tossed into the closet with the broom. Here, Dot encounters some very rude and ravenous cockroaches who sing about themselves and try to bite her fingers so Dot offers them a cookie crumb. Dot continues to try to get her mother's attention but is sucked into a vacuum-cleaner and trys to use her music-box but fails. Dot is promptly knocked and bounced about by her mother's duster and furniture, falling into the laundry basket and finally deposited on her front lawn as her mother prepares to hang out the washing. Dot then encounters a mosquito named Keeto who explains to her that as a male mosquito, he feeds on sap in response to her concern that he is going to bite her.

Dot and the Whale
The film begins with a graphic portrayal of the final scene of "Moby Dick" only for the scene to give way to Dot reading a copy of the novel. Dot is suddenly hit on the head by a ball thrown by a dolphin named Nelson. Dot is at the "Ocean World" aquarium in Sydney, spending time with Nelson and the manager Mrs Pinkus.

Dot and the Smugglers
A circus truck arrives in Dot's home town, inadvertently splashing her as the vehicle drives through a puddle.

Dot Goes to Hollywood
A re-designed Dot first appears dancing and singing on the streets of Sydney with a koala named Gumley as the local papers are littered with reminders of an outbreak of Koala eye disease which is potentially fatal if not treated soon enough. Gumley has already contracted the disease and now needs glasses and Dot is trying to raise the funds for the operation that could save him. Their efforts are proving futile however, and a dejected Dot takes Gumley back to the bush where she nurses his eyes as best she can despite the distress it is causing him. Dozey-Face and the platypuses sympathise with Dot but Grumble-Bones remains pessimistic and unhelpful as ever, only to inadvertently suggest that Dot should go to Hollywood to achieve her goal.

Dot in Space
Dot is watching a television set in the woods with Dozey-Face, Grumble-Bones and the platypuses. They are watching a Russian dog named Whyka being launched into space and hear about an American monkey named Buster who is poised to be sent to the moon. Dot is excited and wishes she could go to space but Grumble-Bones and the platypuses ridicule the idea. The conversation is interrupted when news breaks out that Whyka's vessel has broken down and is now trapped in orbit and to make matters worse, all attempts to return Whyka to Earth quickly fail.