Sixteen-inch-tall Makeda, The Queen of Sheba is the first doll in EthiDolls' African Signature Educational Doll Collection. Her authentic costume is hand woven in Ethiopia, and her dress features a traditional border design of gold, lapis lazuli, ruby red and emerald green. Makeda's lustrous hair is braided in a long natural wave, and she is adorned with gold-plated jewelry and a classic neck tattoo. Queen Makeda's beautifully illustrated storybook and CD narration portray her rise to the throne and her legendary journey to visit King Solomon. “EthiDolls has introduced the first authentic collector-quality educational doll based on African women leaders from antiquity, and has imbued the product with the principles of fair trade,” Patti Gindoff, SVP of marketing for EthiDolls, told TDmonthly. Launch date: December 6, 2006.

The doll is based on the famous Ghanaian Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa, a real African woman leader from West African history. She comes with a beautifully illustrated storybook and audio CD that recount her singular act of bravery in 1900, against colonial domination. The doll and the storybook and audio CD set may be purchased separately, with MSRPs of $139 and $25, respectively. “Now, more than ever, girls grow up fast, and EthiDolls offers them a chance to imagine the possibility of leadership, accomplishment and excitement through the inspiring story of Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa, a wonderful role-model doll for the 21st Century,” Patti Gindoff, senior vice president of marketing at EthiDolls, told TDmonthly. Launch date: Summer 2008.