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Makeda: The Queen of Sheba
A beautiful Ethiopian princess must use courage, strength, and leadership to conquer a dangerous enemy set on destroying the wealthy Kingdom of Sheba.
Princess Makeda was born into a loving royal family but when her father, King Agabos, unexpectedly dies, the lives of Makeda and her mother, Queen Ismenie, are turned upside-down. Grief-stricken, yet angry for vengeance, Makeda must use her intelligence and resiliency to navigate a toxic, male-dominated hierarchy. With the odds stacked against her and her back against the wall, Makeda embarks on the deadliest mission of her life to restore honor and safety to the Kingdom of Sheba.
This African Fantasy Epic is beautifully written and illustrated for both grade school children as well as fans of afrocentric anime, comics, and graphic novels. If you like historical fiction with a powerful black female hero, then you will love this ancient tale of courage and redemption. Buy Makeda the Queen of Sheba today to experience her incredible journey from young princess to legendary African queen.
Princess Makeda was born into a loving royal family but when her father, King Agabos, unexpectedly dies, the lives of Makeda and her mother, Queen Ismenie, are turned upside-down. Grief-stricken, yet angry for vengeance, Makeda must use her intelligence and resiliency to navigate a toxic, male-dominated hierarchy. With the odds stacked against her and her back against the wall, Makeda embarks on the deadliest mission of her life to restore honor and safety to the Kingdom of Sheba.
This African Fantasy Epic is beautifully written and illustrated for both grade school children as well as fans of afrocentric anime, comics, and graphic novels. If you like historical fiction with a powerful black female hero, then you will love this ancient tale of courage and redemption. Buy Makeda the Queen of Sheba today to experience her incredible journey from young princess to legendary African queen.
50 pages, Paperback
First published September 8, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
September 10, 2021
A illustrated storybook about how the Princess of Sheba became the Queen of Sheba based on African folklore. The author, Marlon McKinney, wrote this when he saw their weren't many stories about powerful black women. He wanted to put more stories out there for girls like his daughter to be inspired by.
Received a review copy from Conscious Culture Publishing and NetGalley.
Received a review copy from Conscious Culture Publishing and NetGalley.
December 6, 2021
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Makeda: The Queen of Sheba is a stunningly illustrated children's picture book about how Makeda became the Queen of Sheba.
This story is based on folklaw and this is the main story of how this brave girl became a Queen by avenging her fathers death.
The illustrations are superb and very lifelike. Although only a short story, it's one full of inspiration, courage, bravery and justice. I loved Makedas strength, resilience and honour and found the story enjoyable. Well worth a read for anyone at any age!
Makeda: The Queen of Sheba is a stunningly illustrated children's picture book about how Makeda became the Queen of Sheba.
This story is based on folklaw and this is the main story of how this brave girl became a Queen by avenging her fathers death.
The illustrations are superb and very lifelike. Although only a short story, it's one full of inspiration, courage, bravery and justice. I loved Makedas strength, resilience and honour and found the story enjoyable. Well worth a read for anyone at any age!
October 12, 2021
Book 334 of 2021
Thank you netgalley 🥰
Thank you netgalley 🥰
July 23, 2021
This story of how the Princess of Sheba became the Queen of Sheba, is apparently based on folklore. Although we don't know anything about the real queen of Sheba's childhood, apparently there are stories and folklore about things that happened to her, and so this story was based on this.
Written and illustrated by the Black author as a gift to the world, and to his daughter to show that there were famous and skilled Black women in stories.
It is stunning to look at, and like good folklore, the heroine has to fight to get what she wants.
And since representation matters, it is all the better that she fights and succeeds.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Written and illustrated by the Black author as a gift to the world, and to his daughter to show that there were famous and skilled Black women in stories.
It is stunning to look at, and like good folklore, the heroine has to fight to get what she wants.
And since representation matters, it is all the better that she fights and succeeds.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
December 19, 2021
Great little graphic novel/ children's book. Author and illustrator Marlon McKenney has given us a beautiful book about a princess and her journey to become Queen of Sheba. The story is great but the art is absolutely stunning throughout. It definitely reminded me of some of my favorite video game scenery. Would recommend this one for the art alone even if there were no words.
My thanks to NetGalley, Conscious Culture Publishing and Maron McKenney.
My thanks to NetGalley, Conscious Culture Publishing and Maron McKenney.
September 12, 2021
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review
In the 1500 BC the Kingdom of Sheba is flourishing and prospering under the leadership of King Agabos and Queen Ismenie and their daughter Makada.
Makada being the only child is trained by her father with the 9 laws of leadership;
Family
Respect
Responsibility
Belief
Education
Action
Creativity
Communication
Resilience
8 years after, the Kingdom of Sheba is put at risk when the venomous snake Arwe attacks and terrorises the kingdom.
Makada is put to the task to prove her loyalty and dedication to her Kingdom when her father dies at the jaws of Arwe.
With doubt from her mother the queen, and the general Amari, surrounding Makada, she battles to find her courage and confidence in the 9 laws of leadership.
In the 1500 BC the Kingdom of Sheba is flourishing and prospering under the leadership of King Agabos and Queen Ismenie and their daughter Makada.
Makada being the only child is trained by her father with the 9 laws of leadership;
Family
Respect
Responsibility
Belief
Education
Action
Creativity
Communication
Resilience
8 years after, the Kingdom of Sheba is put at risk when the venomous snake Arwe attacks and terrorises the kingdom.
Makada is put to the task to prove her loyalty and dedication to her Kingdom when her father dies at the jaws of Arwe.
With doubt from her mother the queen, and the general Amari, surrounding Makada, she battles to find her courage and confidence in the 9 laws of leadership.
November 12, 2021
I purchased this storybook to read to my grandchildren and was pleasantly surprised by the set of illustrations and enjoyed reading it myself. The content is presented more like a graphic novel, and I also liked the inclusion of the Laws of Leadership. I would recommend it.
- This review is for the hardback edition of the book.
- This review is for the hardback edition of the book.
July 23, 2021
This was a short but lovely fairytale-esque story. I thought the art was very unique, and it felt like I was inside a video game with the 3D characters.
August 23, 2021
This was amazing I loved it the Art, the characters and the plot. The art was phenomenal and so good. This based off the actually legends of the king, queen and princess of Sheba. I highly recommend this to everyone and I will be getting a physical copy when its published.
August 7, 2021
Review to be added to Amazon UK and US on 6th September 2021 - publication day!
I really enjoyed this book!
I thought that this was a great retelling of the folktale of the Queen of Shaba and how she came to the throne – I love books like this and I have a real fondness of mythology and folklore.
This book had some excellent illustrations, they have a real CGI feel to them - I will admit that I am not normally a fan of that style but it is done really well in the book and works so well to bring the story to life
It was an additive read and thoroughly enjoyable and it was great to see the different range of characters and such a strong female lead - a really positive book!
It is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended!
I really enjoyed this book!
I thought that this was a great retelling of the folktale of the Queen of Shaba and how she came to the throne – I love books like this and I have a real fondness of mythology and folklore.
This book had some excellent illustrations, they have a real CGI feel to them - I will admit that I am not normally a fan of that style but it is done really well in the book and works so well to bring the story to life
It was an additive read and thoroughly enjoyable and it was great to see the different range of characters and such a strong female lead - a really positive book!
It is 4 stars from me for this one – highly recommended!
March 3, 2022
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a short graphic novel about how Makeda became the queen of Sheba. Makeda was the princess, raised by the king and queen to become the next ruler of Sheba. When the king is dead and the kingdom is threatened by the Serpent king, Makeda has to save her kingdom.
The story was short but enjoyable and the art was nice too. I enjoyed seeing the world. My main issue was that I read this as an e-book, and the text takes up a very small part of the page due to the focus bein on the images that I had to zoom in a lot to be able to read the book. I think reading this with a physical copy would be recommended. (I didn’t push it to 4 stars because of this, I just want to bring it up so other readers are aware when getting their copy)
This was a short graphic novel about how Makeda became the queen of Sheba. Makeda was the princess, raised by the king and queen to become the next ruler of Sheba. When the king is dead and the kingdom is threatened by the Serpent king, Makeda has to save her kingdom.
The story was short but enjoyable and the art was nice too. I enjoyed seeing the world. My main issue was that I read this as an e-book, and the text takes up a very small part of the page due to the focus bein on the images that I had to zoom in a lot to be able to read the book. I think reading this with a physical copy would be recommended. (I didn’t push it to 4 stars because of this, I just want to bring it up so other readers are aware when getting their copy)
September 8, 2021
*Received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.*
I liked the idea of this comic, just not the execution. The idea for more stories of Black Women empowerment is something I love to see. However, the actual story was lack luster and fell flat. The pacing was off and there was no emotional connection. I also did not like the video game style of art.
I liked the idea of this comic, just not the execution. The idea for more stories of Black Women empowerment is something I love to see. However, the actual story was lack luster and fell flat. The pacing was off and there was no emotional connection. I also did not like the video game style of art.
Did Not Finish
December 28, 2021Despite loving stories of powerful women throughout history, the writing style in this one just wasn't for me. I'm not very knowledgeable about Christian mythology but I do genuinely believe that the Queen of Sheba in the bible was based off of a real woman. Though there were some obviously fictionalized aspects to this story, I think it managed to convey how powerful a woman Makeda was despite the way the bible tends to depict women.
July 24, 2021
I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Makeda: The Queen of Sheba was a lovely story about a princess and her journey to become queen of a powerful East African nation. It's told in the tradition of an oral history, depicting Makeda's legendary rise to power by defeating the Serpent King, a beast who caused chaos in her kingdom, and killed her father, the king.
The illustrations are beautiful, and have a certain CGI feel to them, so they almost seem three dimensional. I particularly loved all the gorgeous hairstyles. The colours are also bright, bold, and appealing. I would have loved this book as a child.
I loved reading about a brave, intelligent, African Queen, who shows that perseverance and determination are important tools for everyone. Without them, Makeda may never have become the Queen of Sheba, and her name might be just a footnote in history. I think it so so important for children to absorb all kinds of stories, and illustrated books like this also let them take in visual information as well.
I think that this is a delightful book, and I'm sure many parents will enjoy reading and sharing this with their children, especially those who want to instil beliefs of equality, feminism, and anti-racism in their children. I also think, like the author, that young Black girls need more historical role models of smart, capable Black women to look up to.
Makeda: The Queen of Sheba was a lovely story about a princess and her journey to become queen of a powerful East African nation. It's told in the tradition of an oral history, depicting Makeda's legendary rise to power by defeating the Serpent King, a beast who caused chaos in her kingdom, and killed her father, the king.
The illustrations are beautiful, and have a certain CGI feel to them, so they almost seem three dimensional. I particularly loved all the gorgeous hairstyles. The colours are also bright, bold, and appealing. I would have loved this book as a child.
I loved reading about a brave, intelligent, African Queen, who shows that perseverance and determination are important tools for everyone. Without them, Makeda may never have become the Queen of Sheba, and her name might be just a footnote in history. I think it so so important for children to absorb all kinds of stories, and illustrated books like this also let them take in visual information as well.
I think that this is a delightful book, and I'm sure many parents will enjoy reading and sharing this with their children, especially those who want to instil beliefs of equality, feminism, and anti-racism in their children. I also think, like the author, that young Black girls need more historical role models of smart, capable Black women to look up to.
October 6, 2021
Great! A tale about the rise of Princess Makeda of Sheba to the throne as queen. Set in 1500 B.C.E., with beautiful CGI-style illustrations that create a unique vibrant flair. The storyline is engaging and refreshing with an adventurous young heroine.
The legendary Queen of Sheba (also known as Queen of the South) renowned as wise, a skilled diplomat, and a powerful queen in a time of kings. The Bible speaks of her: “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions” (KJV 1 Kings 10:1).
Many Ethiopians claim this queen as their own. There is some geo-historical rivalry with Yemen who also claim this queen. However, it is quite possible her ancient kingdom included both present day Ethiopia and Yemen.
An enjoyable read! 💕👸🏾
Book Quotes:
"Traders from Egypt, Greece, Persia, and India would come from hundreds of miles by land and sea to visit the beautiful city."
"Fact, fiction, or religious icon, The Queen of Sheba will always be a symbol of royalty, beauty, and a powerful woman in control of her own destiny."
Queen of Sheba's gold found by archaeologists
https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-02-1...
The legendary Queen of Sheba (also known as Queen of the South) renowned as wise, a skilled diplomat, and a powerful queen in a time of kings. The Bible speaks of her: “And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord, she came to prove him with hard questions” (KJV 1 Kings 10:1).
Many Ethiopians claim this queen as their own. There is some geo-historical rivalry with Yemen who also claim this queen. However, it is quite possible her ancient kingdom included both present day Ethiopia and Yemen.
An enjoyable read! 💕👸🏾
Book Quotes:
"Traders from Egypt, Greece, Persia, and India would come from hundreds of miles by land and sea to visit the beautiful city."
"Fact, fiction, or religious icon, The Queen of Sheba will always be a symbol of royalty, beauty, and a powerful woman in control of her own destiny."
Queen of Sheba's gold found by archaeologists
https://www.pri.org/stories/2012-02-1...
September 11, 2021
Makeda: The Queen of Sheba
by Marlon McKenney
Pub Date 06 Sep 2021
Conscious Culture Publishing
Children's Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | History
I am reviewing a copy of Makeda: The Queen of Sheba through Conscious Culture Publishing and Netgalley:
Princess Makeda was born into a loving royal family but when her father, King Agabos, unexpectedly dies, the lives of Makeda and her mother, Queen Ismenie, are turned upside-down. Both grief stricken and angry for vengeance Makeda uses her intelligence and resiliency to navigate through a a toxic, male-dominated hierarchy. Despite the odds stacked against her and having her back against the wall, Makeda embarks on the deadliest mission of her life to restore honor and safety to the Kingdom of Sheba.
Makeda: The Queen of Sheba is a beautifully written and illustrated for both grade school children as well as fans of afrocentric anime, comics, and graphic novels. If you are looking for a book with a strong and powerful black female hero, then you will love this ancient tale of courage and redemption.
I give Makeda: The Queen of Sheba five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
by Marlon McKenney
Pub Date 06 Sep 2021
Conscious Culture Publishing
Children's Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | History
I am reviewing a copy of Makeda: The Queen of Sheba through Conscious Culture Publishing and Netgalley:
Princess Makeda was born into a loving royal family but when her father, King Agabos, unexpectedly dies, the lives of Makeda and her mother, Queen Ismenie, are turned upside-down. Both grief stricken and angry for vengeance Makeda uses her intelligence and resiliency to navigate through a a toxic, male-dominated hierarchy. Despite the odds stacked against her and having her back against the wall, Makeda embarks on the deadliest mission of her life to restore honor and safety to the Kingdom of Sheba.
Makeda: The Queen of Sheba is a beautifully written and illustrated for both grade school children as well as fans of afrocentric anime, comics, and graphic novels. If you are looking for a book with a strong and powerful black female hero, then you will love this ancient tale of courage and redemption.
I give Makeda: The Queen of Sheba five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
January 11, 2022
Tonight, I sat down with my daughter on my lap and read her this book. I love reading her books with diverse characters and positive representations of female leadership and power, this book fit the criteria perfectly. Makeda is a well rounded character that experiences both failure and success throughout the story, and, while the story is brief, the audience is given opportunity to see her grow.
The book is not only an entertaining story, but also creates opportunity for conversation, particularly in identifying where young readers exhibit "Makeda's Nine Laws of Leadership" or using the map at the beginning to get a better understanding of global geography (I am a high school teacher in Australia and I am constantly shocked that my students think Africa is one country and not a continent).
The illustrations in this book were fantastic, the characters were incredibly expressive and their joy, shock, pain, joy and sadness were evident in great detail.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and my daughter and I will certainly be revisiting Makeda and Sheba in story times to come.
#WeNeedDiverseBooks #NetGalley
The book is not only an entertaining story, but also creates opportunity for conversation, particularly in identifying where young readers exhibit "Makeda's Nine Laws of Leadership" or using the map at the beginning to get a better understanding of global geography (I am a high school teacher in Australia and I am constantly shocked that my students think Africa is one country and not a continent).
The illustrations in this book were fantastic, the characters were incredibly expressive and their joy, shock, pain, joy and sadness were evident in great detail.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read and my daughter and I will certainly be revisiting Makeda and Sheba in story times to come.
#WeNeedDiverseBooks #NetGalley
January 20, 2022
Wow this story is amazing. I actually wish they has books this good when I was younger. My 9 year old read me this story and she gave it the 5 star rating as she thought it was wonder and I agree it was. The pictures in this book were the best quality I have ever seen in any book. The storyline was wonderful following the amazing story of a princess who had to save her lands from a wicked snake like creature. What I loved the most was that it is telling wonderful story from other cultures with I feel is very important. It is packed full of wonderful life skills/morals including believing in yourself, practice makes perfect and thinking before you act was just a few. This book should be in every school and library. It will definitely be loved by all the children. It is brilliant for girls and boys as the princess isn't a flowery one. We will definitely be looking out for more titles by this author and publishers. I just can't recommend this book enough you will have to see it to believe it.
So much praise goes to the author and publishers for creating this stunning book for children to love and learn from.
So much praise goes to the author and publishers for creating this stunning book for children to love and learn from.
January 11, 2022
This is an interesting take of the story of the Queen of Sheba. I believe that this would be the perfect graphic novel for tweens that were interested in African history but love graphic novels. Additionally, you can see how talented the author is not only in their writing but also in their illustrations. The illustrations looked so vivid and real and more like a picture than a "drawing". The one down side that I would say for this graphic novel is the amount of words on the page. (That is main reason why I'd recommend this book for a tween and not consider it a children's graphic novel.) Typically for me I have to prepare myself to read these types of graphic novels because I find I have to take more time to not only read but pay attention to the graphics as well. Overall though, I would recommend this graphic novel to anyone who was interested in reading it and I'm interested in reading the other graphic novels the author has published in this series.
I just reviewed Makeda: The Queen of Sheba by Marlon McKenney. #WeNeedDiverseBooks #NetGalley
I just reviewed Makeda: The Queen of Sheba by Marlon McKenney. #WeNeedDiverseBooks #NetGalley
August 25, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A beautiful inspiring and inventive tale of the young future queen of Sheba. The story is about how the Ethiopian king Agabos at his deathbed after fighting a menacing enemy to his city, decided to appoint his strong and brave daughter, the princess Makeda, to succeed him and how the young Makeda with her courage fought and could slay the monster that killed her father and was terrorising her people to become the great queen of Sheba that we know.
The story is well written with 3D illustrations which is a first for me to read a book with this kind of art and I have to say that it was so well done that I really enjoyed it. A great story about family, respect, love, courage and so many other things that could inspire many readers and a beautiful way to learn more about the African history through fiction.
A beautiful inspiring and inventive tale of the young future queen of Sheba. The story is about how the Ethiopian king Agabos at his deathbed after fighting a menacing enemy to his city, decided to appoint his strong and brave daughter, the princess Makeda, to succeed him and how the young Makeda with her courage fought and could slay the monster that killed her father and was terrorising her people to become the great queen of Sheba that we know.
The story is well written with 3D illustrations which is a first for me to read a book with this kind of art and I have to say that it was so well done that I really enjoyed it. A great story about family, respect, love, courage and so many other things that could inspire many readers and a beautiful way to learn more about the African history through fiction.
August 25, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A beautiful inspiring and inventive tale of the young future queen of Sheba. The story is about how the Ethiopian king Agabos at his deathbed after fighting a menacing enemy to his city, decided to appoint his strong and brave daughter, the princess Makeda, to succeed him and how the young Makeda with her courage fought and could slay the monster that killed her father and was terrorising her people to become the great queen of Sheba that we know.
The story is well written with 3D illustrations which is a first for me to read a book with this kind of art and I have to say that it was so well done that I really enjoyed it. A great story about family, respect, love, courage and so many other things that could inspire many readers and a beautiful way to learn more about the African history through fiction.
A beautiful inspiring and inventive tale of the young future queen of Sheba. The story is about how the Ethiopian king Agabos at his deathbed after fighting a menacing enemy to his city, decided to appoint his strong and brave daughter, the princess Makeda, to succeed him and how the young Makeda with her courage fought and could slay the monster that killed her father and was terrorising her people to become the great queen of Sheba that we know.
The story is well written with 3D illustrations which is a first for me to read a book with this kind of art and I have to say that it was so well done that I really enjoyed it. A great story about family, respect, love, courage and so many other things that could inspire many readers and a beautiful way to learn more about the African history through fiction.
October 17, 2021
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an eARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.
I think the reason why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would is because of the art style. It is by no means bad, but for some reason it was really distracting for me while reading, since it looks so much like CGI. I understand how much time it takes to create 3D looking art like this, but once I noticed how many of the background characters were copied and pasted over and over (especially their faces), I couldn’t unsee it.
I also thought this book was going to be an overview of Makeda’s life and legacy, but it was centered specifically around one legend/myth.
(I had an issue with the formatting and the placement of the words in conjunction with the illustrations, but that could just be how the eARC read on my phone. It could be different in the physical version.)
I think the reason why I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would is because of the art style. It is by no means bad, but for some reason it was really distracting for me while reading, since it looks so much like CGI. I understand how much time it takes to create 3D looking art like this, but once I noticed how many of the background characters were copied and pasted over and over (especially their faces), I couldn’t unsee it.
I also thought this book was going to be an overview of Makeda’s life and legacy, but it was centered specifically around one legend/myth.
(I had an issue with the formatting and the placement of the words in conjunction with the illustrations, but that could just be how the eARC read on my phone. It could be different in the physical version.)
September 15, 2021
I had heard about the queen of Sheba, but never really knew the story and WOW! I loved it! This book, an illustrated story about the queen of Sheba and how she came to power, was short, but very entertaining the entire time. I loved the art style that was used in here. It almost looked like a video game. Which by the way this story would make an awesome video game, just saying. Considering how short it was I felt a lot of emotion and power from this book, more than some full novels are even able to convey. Makeda, is a beautiful, strong, and powerful woman and is someone I think everyone should know about. She's especially someone for young girls to look up to and aspire to be. Please read this if you have the chance! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2021
Thank you Netgalley for the eARC! This was an interesting story but it was not what I expected at all. The authour did research on the topic and states which parts of the story are fact and fiction which was nice to see. I thought the illustrations were very unique and it’s cool cause the authour does all 3D illustrations himself. I’ve never seen a book illustrated like that. I thought this story was going to be more of a lifelong bio of the Queen of Sheba, but it’s only about one folktale in her life. The book also lists Makeda’s 9 laws of leadership which I thought were interesting. Overall this book was fascinating to read and would make for a great story to read to children.
3.5/5 Stars
3.5/5 Stars
September 1, 2021
I was provided a free copy of this from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I spent three years in Ethiopia while in high school, so I was excited to see this one available!
This was a fun read. It was a mixture of real historical figures and Ethiopian legend. It is a great story about a strong girl who learns how to become a warrior and a Queen!
I loved the lesson that even though her first idea to defeat the beast didn't succeed, she didn't give up and ultimately (spoiler! 😉) was able to conquer the beast! The illustrations are gorgeous! This was a fun book!
It is scheduled to be published 6 September, so put it on your list of books to get soon!
#WeNeedDiverseBooks #NetGalley
I spent three years in Ethiopia while in high school, so I was excited to see this one available!
This was a fun read. It was a mixture of real historical figures and Ethiopian legend. It is a great story about a strong girl who learns how to become a warrior and a Queen!
I loved the lesson that even though her first idea to defeat the beast didn't succeed, she didn't give up and ultimately (spoiler! 😉) was able to conquer the beast! The illustrations are gorgeous! This was a fun book!
It is scheduled to be published 6 September, so put it on your list of books to get soon!
#WeNeedDiverseBooks #NetGalley
October 15, 2021
I received an eARC copy from Conscious Culture Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Queen of Sheba has been an inspiration for many centuries to many artists. During the Italian Renaissance (talking about the period XIV-XVII century here), she appeared on the Florence Baptistery's bronze doors made by Lorenzo Ghiberti, in frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli in Pisa and the Raphael Loggie in the Vatican. Even earlier, in the XII century, sculptures of the Queen of Sheba were used to decorate great Gothic cathedrals such as Chartres, Rheims, Amiens, and Wells. Many movies and TV series were filmed about her, operas and ballets composed. She is also a part of Biblical narratives, mentioned in Christian scriptures, Coptic legends, Ethiopian national saga; Jewish literature and the Quran also share the story of the Queen of Sheba that has similarities with the Bible. Her story spreads through many centuries, many countries, many continents.
The outstandingly written and illustrated storybook pictures Makeda and her becoming the Queen of Sheba. With her strength, faith, dedication, wits, and love for her people, Makeda managed to defeat the Serpent King, a terrible beast who killed her father, King Agabos, and brought mayhem to the kingdom and rise to be the queen and the protector of her nation.
The 3D-feel illustrations, with their bright and bold colours, are a delight to look at; I simply know that many parents and children will love and read this mythical story countless times. This brave young black woman instils beliefs of courage, women's empowerment, equality, and anti-racism, and we need more of these inspiring stories.
The Queen of Sheba has been an inspiration for many centuries to many artists. During the Italian Renaissance (talking about the period XIV-XVII century here), she appeared on the Florence Baptistery's bronze doors made by Lorenzo Ghiberti, in frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli in Pisa and the Raphael Loggie in the Vatican. Even earlier, in the XII century, sculptures of the Queen of Sheba were used to decorate great Gothic cathedrals such as Chartres, Rheims, Amiens, and Wells. Many movies and TV series were filmed about her, operas and ballets composed. She is also a part of Biblical narratives, mentioned in Christian scriptures, Coptic legends, Ethiopian national saga; Jewish literature and the Quran also share the story of the Queen of Sheba that has similarities with the Bible. Her story spreads through many centuries, many countries, many continents.
The outstandingly written and illustrated storybook pictures Makeda and her becoming the Queen of Sheba. With her strength, faith, dedication, wits, and love for her people, Makeda managed to defeat the Serpent King, a terrible beast who killed her father, King Agabos, and brought mayhem to the kingdom and rise to be the queen and the protector of her nation.
The 3D-feel illustrations, with their bright and bold colours, are a delight to look at; I simply know that many parents and children will love and read this mythical story countless times. This brave young black woman instils beliefs of courage, women's empowerment, equality, and anti-racism, and we need more of these inspiring stories.
November 13, 2021
This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Princess Makeda who was born into a loving royal family but when her father, King Agabos, unexpectedly dies, the lives of Makeda and her mother, Queen Ismenie, are turned upside-down.
From the rich illustrations to the story of grief, confidence, faltering and triumph this book is a great representation of the rich African diaspora that should be shared with all children. McKenney goes further into the story to lay the framework of Makeda's 9 Lays of Leadership which allows readers to see that leadership is not always about brute strength but respect, taking responsibility and other worth attributes.
I highly recommend this book for those guiding children grades elementary to middle school and beyond.
From the rich illustrations to the story of grief, confidence, faltering and triumph this book is a great representation of the rich African diaspora that should be shared with all children. McKenney goes further into the story to lay the framework of Makeda's 9 Lays of Leadership which allows readers to see that leadership is not always about brute strength but respect, taking responsibility and other worth attributes.
I highly recommend this book for those guiding children grades elementary to middle school and beyond.
November 13, 2021
This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of Princess Makeda who was born into a loving royal family but when her father, King Agabos, unexpectedly dies, the lives of Makeda and her mother, Queen Ismenie, are turned upside-down.
From the rich illustrations to the story of grief, confidence, faltering and triumph this book is a great representation of the rich African diaspora that should be shared with all children. McKenney goes further into the story to lay the framework of Makeda's 9 Lays of Leadership which allows readers to see that leadership is not always about brute strength but respect, taking responsibility and other worth attributes.
I highly recommend this book for those guiding children grades elementary to middle school and beyond.
From the rich illustrations to the story of grief, confidence, faltering and triumph this book is a great representation of the rich African diaspora that should be shared with all children. McKenney goes further into the story to lay the framework of Makeda's 9 Lays of Leadership which allows readers to see that leadership is not always about brute strength but respect, taking responsibility and other worth attributes.
I highly recommend this book for those guiding children grades elementary to middle school and beyond.
January 10, 2022
Based on African folklore, we are following the fabled Queen of Sheba from childhood till her rise as the famous queen.
The story is great, well written with many wonderful moral tales and inspiring events for young girls to look up to. My only critique- I wish that the story was a bit longer.
Other than that, I didn’t really enjoy the illustrations. It felt very much like a cheaply animated video game.
If the illustrations were of a different style I would’ve enjoyed the story more, thus giving it a higher rating.
3 stars.
It's still such a great story of a real strong Black woman who became a Queen and legend in her own right. It's such a great tale for young black girls and boys!
***ARC Provided by Conscious Culture Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story is great, well written with many wonderful moral tales and inspiring events for young girls to look up to. My only critique- I wish that the story was a bit longer.
Other than that, I didn’t really enjoy the illustrations. It felt very much like a cheaply animated video game.
If the illustrations were of a different style I would’ve enjoyed the story more, thus giving it a higher rating.
3 stars.
It's still such a great story of a real strong Black woman who became a Queen and legend in her own right. It's such a great tale for young black girls and boys!
***ARC Provided by Conscious Culture Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 6, 2021
This book is about the kingdom of Sheba in 1500 BC. It talks about how beautiful the city was and that the people felt safe because of the Royal family. Talks about princess makeda learning about how to be a good Queen how to be a warrior. It tells how she became Queen and the struggles that she faced. Afterward it talks about the difference between what is real and what's not with the Queen of Sheba.
I thought it was a very good story I don't remember ever reading before. I love that I'm able to find these stories to share with my kids so they're not just hearing the same stories they're getting to learn about different cultures.
I thought it was a very good story I don't remember ever reading before. I love that I'm able to find these stories to share with my kids so they're not just hearing the same stories they're getting to learn about different cultures.
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