THE MAKERS CLUB

Two sets of friends navigate challenging life circumstances while attending Pangolin Secondary School, where their resilience and creativity are put to the test.

When nervous new student Nadia Tan is assigned to work with classmate Priya Kumar on a science project, Nadia is hopeful that they can win the first-place cash prize to help her financially struggling family. Meanwhile, reserved Priya shuts the world out due to her parents’ constant fighting. A year and a half earlier, Aqilah Zuraidi and Fu Yong Qiang reconnected after spending years apart. Yong Qiang is learning to accept that life is different now that he’s a wheelchair user, and creative overachieving hijabi Aqilah faces the stress of trying to do too much. The varied layouts of the pages, which include the use of open panels, panel breaks, and design elements that enhance characters’ expression of emotions, provide substantial visual detail for readers to pore over. The two stories in this graphic novel, presented in reverse chronological order, are colored in a soothing, rainbow-hued, pastel palette that matches the easygoing feel. Despite the potential for heaviness given some of the serious content, the gray-shaded scenes that are fraught with conflict quickly make way for happy resolutions. The ethnically diverse cast reflects a vibrant Southeast Asian setting, and an interview with adaptive-wear designer Claudia Poh offers fascinating insights into work that considers the needs of different users.

Sweetly sincere feel-good stories exploring relationships and maker culture.