Review by Booklist Review
Magda, a humble home cook from the planet of Azuki, is eager to impress her dad and grandma in the annual cooking competition. Her expectations aren't high, so she's extra surprised to win and be swept away to the galaxy-wide competition held on another planet. Once there, she grapples with the intense level of competition and questioning her own worthiness--though her ingenuity is tough to ignore. But is the top spot in the cooking competition really all that's at stake? This Belgian import boasts wildly imaginative artwork, looking something like Spirited Away via Tintin: lush colors and crisp linework reveal inventive flora and fauna on every planet and architecture teeming with whimsy. There's not much in the way of substantive plot, but hints of a backstory and background political intrigue signal a more-intricate tale to be revealed in subsequent series installments. Nonetheless, the world building wrought by the dynamic, detailed art is a pleasure in itself. Recipes in the back matter, nicely tying the fictional ingredient to Earth equivalents, are icing on the cake.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this promising series starter, Wouters and Gheluwe dish up a delectable sci-fi adventure that draws parallels to Food Wars! and The Great British Bake Off. Living on Azuki, one of many vibrant landscapes within a biodiverse cosmos, 12-year-old culinary wunderkind Magda must represent her home planet in an intergalactic cooking contest for children in which participants compete for Nectar, a limited resource pivotal to planetary restoration. But the competition is waylaid by a sinister conspiracy, one that may be the cause of the planets' apparent disrepair. Wouters balances high-stakes competition that explores themes of sustainability, cultural heritage, and self-discovery with intimate character moments between Magda and her supportive grandmother--herself a former tournament contender--and kindly competitor Hector. Gheluwe pairs imaginative depictions of alien ingredients and futuristic kitchen tools with expressive character designs; dynamic compositions heighten both the tension of time-bound cooking challenges and the joy of artistic expression, while color shifts underscore the story's emotional beats. With its humor, inventive premise, and eco-conscious messaging, this graphic novel celebrates resilience and creativity. Characters are portrayed with varying skin tones. Ages 10--14. (Apr.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4 Up--A fun space traveling story about a young girl who unearths a cover-up to a major intergalactic scheme. Magda, 12, has arrived on planet Tamaris after winning a cooking competition on her home moon planet Azuki. The prize for winning the competition is Nectar: a "bluish-gold" substance which has the ability to do wondrous things. However, Magda learns the competition is a front for a secret meeting where Nectar is used to take over Azuki. Wouters depicts Magda as a loveable character who is brave and empathetic. When she participates in a surprise challenge with her roommate Hector, an animal is overfed during the competition and Magda realizes the people of Tamaris do not care about their wildlife. The bird's mistreatment hurts her so much that she cries and wants to quit. However, when Magda uncovers the secret plan, she puts aside her feelings to do what she feels is right to ensure that the Nectar won't go to the wrong hands. Van Gheluwe's cartoonish illustrations are vibrant and detailed. The planets have their own unique atmospheres, and the illustrations make each setting feel distinctive from the next. Readers will be eager to learn how Magda will continue to grapple her feelings and stay the course in the next installment of this series. VERDICT A colorful and engaging graphic novel about a young girl who uncovers a nefarious plot and finds the courage to fight.--Kharissa Kenner
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
In this French import, a budding chef beats the odds to qualify for the great intergalactic cooking tournament on planet Tamaris…but has she bitten off more than she can chew? The daughter of a humble broccoli farmer, pale-skinned, red-haired Magda looks like a long shot to get through her home planet's qualifying contest--until her locally sourced three-course entry wows the tough judges and sends her on to the big time, vying for a prize powerful enough to alter worlds. Dialogue balloons compete for space with a large cast of humanoid figures of diverse hue in the relatively small panels. Still, the art contains witty details aplenty to reward careful examination--like the running gag (so to speak) involving a massive glob of snot that hangs from the nose of Magda's brown-skinned roommate, Hector. Alert readers will notice that the glob would be the only animal-based ingredient used by anybody here…were it not snorted up just before it touches any food he's preparing. Along with capturing the drama, suspense, and stylized commentary of real cooking shows, this interstellar culinary romp showcases one tempting dish after another, capped by three recipes at the end; the dishes are vegan throughout, and alternative earthly ingredients are suggested for the exoplanetary ones. An abrupt close just as the main event is about to begin will leave readers salivating for the next course. A delicious kickoff that combines haute cuisine with sky-high stakes.(Graphic science fiction. 10-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
