Madonna's empire

Star-Telegram/November 16, 2003

Not to be outdone by those pesky Olsen twins and their merchandising empire, Madonna is making a full-frontal assault on consumers. The Messianic Mom is launching a toy line based on her first kids' book, The English Roses.

With Signatures Network, she'll develop dolls, apparel, accessories, cosmetics, stationery, room decor and back-to-school products aimed at readers ages 7 to 12.

Madonna, 45, also tells TV show Extra that she hopes to make an animated film based on the book and wants to play the voice of the Kabbalah-spouting fairy godmother.

We nominate Britney Spears to play Binah, the beautiful blond heroine with milk-and-honey skin who's partly based on Madonna's daughter, Lourdes.