Melanites Jaylen Action Pal

Melanites Jaylen Action Pal Celebrates Brown Boyhood

Approximately a year ago, an interview with the founder and CEO of Melanites was published on my sister blog, Ebony-Essence of Dolls in Black.  I was so impressed with the company's plan to create a line of dolls that celebrate brown boyhood that I immediately preordered their first Action Pal, Jaylen.

Jaylen arrived on Thursday, February 15, 2018, along with a brochure of other products, a 20% discount code off my next Melanites purchase, and a personal handwritten note from Melanites founder and CEO, Jennifer Pierre.

Before removing Jaylen from his colorful box, photos of the side panels and back of the box were taken:

"Celebrating Brown Boyhood" is on the left panel. An illustration of Jaylen appears on the back of the box along with introduction text that reads:

Meet Jaylen, a curious thinker who is always solving problems and creating new adventures!  Melanites Action Pals are the perfect companion for any adventure.

Additional information about the company, its mission*, and website address are on the right side panel of the box.  *"Our mission is to empower children to dream big, stand tall, and live out their childhood."

In the above photo, Jaylen remains attached to the light blue box liner that is decorated with several light bulb illustrations (because he is a thinker).  Removing him from the box liner only required snipping the plastic ties at his neck and ankles, which were protected by a thin layer of foam.

Jaylen is all vinyl.  He stands approximately 17 inches.  If positioned correctly, he can stand without the assistance of a doll stand.  He is dressed in a blue and gray striped T-shirt that has a Velcro closure in back, khaki cargo shorts, and red low-top sneakers.

Jaylen has brown acrylic stationary eyes with upper eyelashes.  His black-wigged hair forms soft curls; it is short on the sides and longer on top.

Closer look at Jaylen's hair

Jaylen is string jointed with articulation at the elbows, wrists, and knees.  His feet measure 2 inches x 1-1/8 inches.  His shoes measure 2-1/4 inches x 1-1/2 inches.  His toenails and fingernails are tipped with white paint.

Closer look at white-paint-tipped fingernails

A size comparison with 18-inch Journey Girls, Taryn, illustrates Jaylen's more slender body and slightly shorter height. 

Overall assessment:  Jaylen is a very well-made, handsome boy that will withstand boy play.  The production doll looks slightly different than the prototype:  the eyes are larger and the face narrower than the prototype's. I appreciate his medium brown all-vinyl construct and string jointed articulation.  I also admire the company's vision to create brown boy "action pals" to allow brown boys to see themselves in a toy and inspire them to use their imaginations to become problem solvers and "thinkers" like Jaylen.  Boys of all ethnicities will love Jaylen and girls will love him, too!

For more information about Melanites, click here, or to purchase Jaylen, click here.


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