The Big Tournament: Book 1

Magda, Cuisinière intergalactique #1

by Nicolas Wouters, Mathilde Van Gheluwe (illustrator)

Can a little chef with a big heart save the galaxy with the communal spirit of cooking?


Twelve-year-old Magda was born on Azuki, a tiny moon with incredible plant life. Magda may be a bit of a mess, but she’s also a gifted chef—so gifted her unique and delicious dishes earn her a spot in the centuries-old Intergalactic Cooking Tournament! Kids from all over the galaxy hope to win honor for their home planet—as well as the Nector, a precious resource that can reshape entire worlds . . . or even save dying ones. But when Magda discovers an intergalactic conspiracy, only the kind-hearted chef can stop a secret society from stealing the Nector—and with it, control of the entire galaxy.

Genres: Bande Dessinée, Graphic Novels, Comics, Science Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade

Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2022

Reviews

[koup · Rating 5 out of 5]

EXCELLENT les petites recettes les petites plantes toutes les femmes farfelues mmmmmmmm trop bien

[Méli]

les p'tites recettes de l'histoire à la fin du livre 😭♥️

Bien hâte au volume 2!

[Agathe 🧚🏻‍♀️🍧 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Au début j’étais sceptique mais en fait j’adoooooore!
On suit une ado qui est embarquée bon gré mal gré dans un tournoi de cuisine intergalactique parce que c’est la tradition dans la famille d’y participer
Elle a pas trop confiance en elle et le fait surtout pour faire plaisir, sauf qu’elle est hyper douée et pleine d’empathie
Et au moment où ça devient trop lourd à porter pour elle et qu’elle veut abandonner (et que sa famille lui dit qu’elle sera toujours là pour elle quoiqu’elle choisisse et ça que ça fait du bien à entendre!!!) on lui révèle qu’il y a des complots politiques et que si elle gagne le tournoi elle aura un levier pour négocier et sauver sa planète
Que va-t-elle faire!???
+ perso féminins styles
+ graphisme cool
+ écologie évidemment !! Et critique de la domination des animaux par l’homme et de la pollution de notre environnement etc

[Lune · Rating 4 out of 5]

trop génial!! les dessins... les couleurs.. les recettes (réelles ou imaginaires)... à se taper le cul par terre

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magda is a comic about a cooking competition on its surface, but deeper, it is about how we treat the planet and each other.

The art style is really cool-more like a sketch type drawing than the typical glossy finish for comics anymore. It makes it stand out among the crowd of comics.

The story itself is pretty cool! I loved getting to see little Magda cook in these high pressure situations and out think the "stronger" competitors. There are even the recipes for what she makes in the back of the book, which I think is a fun way to immerse the readers into the world.

This book is great for middle grade students wanting to explore morality a bit more while still being able to have fun. Magda is challenged in her skills, her love of cooking, and her interpersonal relationships.

Overall, I really enjoyed this comic and am looking forward to seeing what happens next in the series!

[Annavidalco · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'est super. A offrir à toustes à partir de 8 ans je pense. Les dessins sont super beaux, l'histoire est pleine de belles images et la dramaturgie bien construite, ça permet d'aborder une réflexion constructive et positive sur les ressources naturelles, le rapport à la famille et à ses injonctions... j'ai autant aimé que ma nièce !

[lil4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

TROP mignon et bien.......

[Zoe M-W · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was seriously one of the most adorable comics of all time. Totally worth me diligently going through and looking up all the French I didn’t know.

It’s an intergalactic chef competition for teenagers, and it has all the panache and verve one might expect from this idea. There are last-minute shocks and surprises with the cuisine, and a bunch of unconventional solutions to the assignment.

What’s most astounding is the artistic style, as it shows different planets and all their beautiful flora and fauna.

And for those who took French, it’s a decent sized comic at 150 pages, and the vocabulary is rather high. I had to look up more business, sci-fi, and cooking terms I didn’t know — showcase, electromagnetic fields, sea urchin garlic, etc.

Truly incredible. Hope it gets translated into English one day.

[TAreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big Tournament is a brilliant graphic novel! The art is beautiful, colorful, fascinating and the story is amazingly well-written! I absolutely adore Magda and how genuine she is with expressing herself - the happiness and the sadness. We see her cry, cheat, laugh, love and that's what makes her a great hero! I found her so relatable and I connected so much to her!

The art is beautiful and all the characters, fauna, flora, etc. are so diverse with their designs. I absolutely loved it! This is a great graphic novel! And I can't wait for the next volume!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Philip McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun read with such fantastic artwork. I really liked how it transported you to such a world that feels truly alive. The story is very reminiscent of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Castle in the Sky. I thought the story itself was pretty good. The cooking tournament angle makes for a neat and entertaining read. The only small gripe I have was the plot twist at the end of this volume felt a little rushed. I would have liked to have things more slowly unraveled versus a big info dump. But I guess when you have three volumes, you gotta do what you gotta do.

[savyreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Big Tournament is a big responsibility for Magda, luckily her cooking skills allow her to be more than up to the challenge, but maybe even an actual chance to win! For Magda the competition is about showcasing her talents and culinary skills when her back is against the walls. As Magda’s recipes call to become more complicated so does the competition. Magda’s story is very addicting and adventurous, leaving me with the need to find out what happens next!

[☆ anouk ☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Une très chouette bd ! Les dessins et l'histoire sont tous doux et originaux et j'ai beaucoup aimé ce concept de concours de cuisine intergalactique 🍳. C'est aussi super mignon et j'ai trouvé super tout l'univers qu'on imaginé les auteurices. Et puis j'ai trouvé ça super que ça survole aussi la question du véganisme. J'ai vraiment hâte de découvrir la suite 🌿 !!

[Bibliohiker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a fun read and the graphics were great. I like how even though Madga at first wants to quit when the competition gets tough; she is shown more than she bargains for and decides to keep going. I like that there’s also recipes at the end of the book. I can’t wait for the next book!

[Sofia · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one is working on Mathilde Van Gheluwe's level right now, this thing has some crazy cartooning in it! An absolute treat to read and to look at, so creative and wacky. I'm so glad these books are being translated, I think they're fab.

[PissenlitSoyeux · Rating 5 out of 5]

heartwarming af<3

[Aude Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Une bd parfaite avec une considération pour l'animal et produits animaux . Cuisiner sans c'est possible même en bd 💚

[Tara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An adventure and cooking competition based graphic novel. Not my favorite art style, and the story seemed to jump at times.

[Candice · Rating 1 out of 5]

Style was not for me.

[Kayla Zabcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

80%

lots of great setup with several storylines following intriguing lore. I don't LOVE the art, but it's not bad.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intergalactic cooking competition!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received from Netgalley!

I absolutely loved this! The story was so much fun. I love the idea of an intergalactic cooking competition, and I can not wait for the sequel to come out!

[Nael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Le style graphique est hyper charmant, la mise en page est très chouette aussi

[luna · Rating 5 out of 5]

i need the next book ASAP

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Maude Genter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Très drôle et accessible, avec une petite touche décoloniale et vegan :)

[Cait (plotgirllsummer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Colorful, zany, bright storytelling, and just the kind of offbeat style I love! The more I read, the more I was drawn in to Magda’s story and just adored that she always takes the path off the beaten road in all of her cooking. And The Lore!!! I was caught off guard by how good the lore and world building were, every planet feels incredibly lived in. This story has so much heart - from her the relationships within her immediate family to the generational trauma connected with the big competition, I relished every second of reading. Can’t wait for the rest of the series!

** I loved that they had Magda’s recipes at the end, so cute!!

[Sabrina Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story set in a similar art setting as Studio Ghibli. The story follows Magda as she competes in an intergalactic cooking competition and her travels to another world.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je savais que j'allais adorer dès la première page, dès que j'ai aperçu Marthe (la grand-mère de Magda) en baudrier d'escalade !
À première vue, Magda c'est Harry Potter et la Coupe de feu croisé avec Top Chef, et bien non !
C'est une aventure d'apprentissage, bourrée d'imagination et une manière originale d'amener la réflexion sur l'écologie, comment nous traitons nos voisins les animaux...
Je vais me procurer le tome 2 de ce pas.
PS : tout le monde a des chaussures incroyables.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun cooking competition set in space. The art style and character designs reminded me a lot of Studio Ghibli and other great European comics. It does end on a cliff-hanger, so look forward to the next volume!

ARC from Netgalley.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 2 out of 5]

The elements for a graphic novel popular with elementary and middle grade readers are there: a planet settled by humans, intergalactic travel in interesting vehicles, a cooking competition with a variety of kids including cheaters, and an evil plot. Unfortunately, all the unknown foods and cooking equipment and techniques gets confusing, the citizens are supposed to be human (I think) but the illustrator chose to over-exaggerate and distort features making the characters all appear very unattractive, and the political maneuverings were confusing to this adult so would likely leave kids scratching their heads as well. I think there were overtones of environmental misuse and attempts to protect it, but with all the flora and fauna being imaginary, it was hard to tell.

Overall, I found Magda to be disappointing despite the possibilities formed in my mind after reading the publisher summary.

Thank you for the print arc, Lerner Books and Graphic Universe.