"A joy to read.`
-Carlo Rovelli
"Mind-expanding and hilarious!`
-Jeff Kinney
Cosmos meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid in this original illustrated middle-grade fiction series that blends science with narrative from Jorge Cham, the Emmy-nominated creator of PHD Comics.
Reviews
"I got smarter reading this!"
- Jeff Kinney, author of the international bestselling series Diary of a Wimpy Kid
"A stellar confluence of comic episodes and cosmic information. Brilliantly integrated comic moments [and] surprising plot twists add narrative pizzazz to a serious raft of data about the universe."
- Kirkus, 
Starred Review
"Prepare for liftoff! This is exactly the sort of book that can turn reluctant readers into lifelong learners. An absolute gem!"
- Lincoln Peirce, bestselling creator of Big Nate and Max & the Midknights
"Oliver's Great Big Universe will have you laughing out loud and spouting physics facts!"
- Zach & Kelly Weinersmith, authors of the New York Times bestseller Soonish
"Such a pleasure to read a book about the universe that is overflowing with both fun and facts. I wish I had this book when I was Oliver's age."
- Sean Carroll, author of The Big Picture
"Charming and informative, packed with real, accessible answers to the big cosmic questions kids are most curious about."
- Katie Mack, Theoretical Cosmologist and author of The End of Everything
"Funny and heartwarming! This book will get the entire family laughing and learning together.”
- Kazu Kibuishi, creator of the New York Times bestselling Amulet graphic novel series
Sample Pages
Watch the Announcement!
About The Author
Jorge is the best-selling and Emmy-nominated creator of "PHD Comics", the popular ongoing comic strip about life (or the lack thereof) in Academia. He is the Creative Director and co-creator of the celebrated animated series Elinor Wonders Why, which airs on PBS Kids and in 78 countries around the world. He is the co-author of the award-winning book We Have No Idea (and its follow-up FAQ-U), and the co-host of the iHeart Radio show Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. He is also the co-founder of PHDtv, a video science and discovery outreach collaborative, and the co-author of the upcoming book Out of Your Mind.
Jorge earned his Ph.D. in Robotics from Stanford University and was an Instructor and Research Associate at Caltech from 2003-2005. He is originally from Panama.
International Editions!
Oliver's Great Big Universe is being translated to 14 languages (and counting!). Find your local publisher below:
| Territory | Language | Publisher |
| Brazil | Portuguese | Editora Rocco |
| China (Mainland) | Chinese (simplified) | United Sky |
| Croatia | Croatian | Znanje |
| France | French | Editions Larousse |
| Greece | Greek | Metaichmio |
| Italy | Italian | DeAgostini |
| Japan | Japanese | Asunaro |
| Latin America | Spanish | Oceano |
| Poland | Polish | Otwarte |
| Romania | Romanian | Bookzone |
| Russia | Russian | Mann-Ivanov-Ferber (MIF) |
| South Korea | Korean | Mirae N |
| Sweden | Swedish | B. Wahlströms Bokförlag |
| Turkey | Turkish | Indigo Kitap |
| U.K., Australia, Commonwealth | English | Simon and Shuster |
| United States and Canada | English | Abrams |
The Great Big Universe
Book Tour!
The Great Big Universe
Book Tour!
Jorge is touring elementary schools, science museums, book festivals, universities and more!
To have Jorge visit your school or institution, please e-mail
jorge
phdcomics.com
Click here to read testimonials from previous visits.
December 4, 2023
D.C. Area Schools, Washington, D.C.
09:00am -
Using live cartooning and fun animations, Jorge presents his new book, "Oliver's Great Big Universe."
December 11, 2023
L.A. Area Schools, Los Angeles, California
09:00am - Marengo Elementary School
Using live cartooning and fun animations, Jorge presents his new book, "Oliver's Great Big Universe."
Previous stops:
November 30, 2023
L.A. Area Schools, Los Angeles, California
09:00am - Arroyo Vista Elementary School
November 27, 2023
L.A. Area Schools, Los Angeles, California
08:30am - Monterey Hills Elementary School
November 15, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
2:30pm - Walnut Creek Elementary School
November 15, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
1:00pm - Maplewood Elementary School
November 15, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
8:30am - A.P. Wooldridge Elementary School
November 14, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
1:30pm - Baldwin Elementary School
November 14, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
12:25pm - Sanchez Elementary School
November 14, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
10:30am - Small Middle School
November 14, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
8:30am - Winn Montessori School
November 11, 2023
Texas Book Festival, Austin, Texas
11:15am - Panel "Graphic Novels for Curious Readers: Comics, War and Astrophysics"; 12:00pm Booksigning and free cartoon portraits; 4:00pm - Activity Tent Draw Along
November 10, 2023
Reading Rockstars, Austin Area School Visits, Austin, Texas
7:25am - Pecan Springs Elementary
November 8, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
12:30pm - Linder Elementary School
November 8, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
8:30am - Blazier Elementary School
November 8, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
2:30pm - Ojeda Middle School
November 7, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
1:00pm - Bailey Middle School
November 7, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
8:30am - Lively Middle School
November 6, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
1:30pm - Cook Elementary School
November 6, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
09:30am - Sunset Valley Elementary School
November 6, 2023
Austin Area School, Austin, Texas
08:15am - Becker Elementary School
October 25, 2023
Houston Area Schools, Houston, Texas
09:00am - Westside High School
October 24, 2023
Houston Area Schools, Houston, Texas
08:00am - Lyons Elementary School
October 23, 2023
Houston Area Schools, Houston, Texas
09:00am - Frank Black Middle School
October 23, 2023
Houston Area Schools, Houston, Texas
11:40am - Pershing Middle School
October 23, 2023
Houston Area Schools, Houston, Texas
01:00pm - Crockett Elementary School
October 21, 2023
Tweens Read Book Festival, Houston, Texas
Picture This! Panel (11am), Getting Graphic Panel (12pm), Read Visually Panel (3pm) - 10220 Blackhawk Blvd. Houston, TX 77089
October 17, 2023
Boston Area School Visits, Boston, Massachussetts
1:00pm - The Condon K-8 School
October 16, 2023
Boston Area School Visits, Boston, Massachussetts
9:30am - PA Shaw Elementary School
October 16, 2023
Boston Area School Visits, Boston, Massachussetts
1:00pm - Hennigan K-8 School
October 15, 2023
Boston Museum of Science, Boston, Massachusetts
12pm-3pm Free cartoon portraits! 3:30pm Presentation and Q&A - Current Sciennce and Technology Stage
October 14, 2023
An Unlikely Story Bookstore, Plainville, Massachusetts
4:00pm - 111 South St, Plainville, MA 02762
October 13, 2023
Boston Area School Visits, Boston, Massachusetts
1:45pm - North Scituate Elementary School
October 13, 2023
Boston Area School Visits, Boston, Massachusetts
9:00am - Amvet Elementary School
October 11, 2023
Portland Area Schools, Portland, Oregon
11:30am - George Middle School
October 11, 2023
Portland Area Schools, Portland, Oregon
1:30pm - Sunnyside Environmental School
October 11, 2023
Portland Area Schools, Portland, Oregon
9:30am - Whitman School
October 10, 2023
Portland Area Schools, Portland, Oregon
2:00pm - Beaumont Middle School
October 10, 2023
Portland Area Schools, Portland, Oregon
11:30am - Faubion Middle School
October 10, 2023
Portland Area Schools, Portland, Oregon
8:45am - Vernon Elementary and Middle School
October 9, 2023
University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
3:00pm - EMU Ballroom, UO Central Campus
October 9, 2023
Portland Area Schools, Portland, Oregon
10:15am - Atkinson Elementary
October 9, 2023
Portland Area Schools, Portland, Oregon
8:30am - Bridlemile Elementary School
October 7, 2023
Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana
5:00pm - Washington Hall
October 7, 2023
Notre Dame Family Event, South Bend, IN
4:00pm - Hammes Lounge, Coleman-Morse Center
October 6, 2023
Chicago Field Museum, Chicago, Illinois
3:30pm - 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605
October 5, 2023
Kidquake Book Festival, San Francisco, California
10:15am and 11:15am - San Koret Auditorium, San Francisco Public Library
October 1, 2023
Maplewood-South Orange Book Festival, Maplewood, New Jersey
11:00am - Children's Area
September 30, 2023
Brooklyn Book Festival, Brooklyn, New York
1:00pm - Young Readers Stage, The Plaza of 5 Metrotech Center
September 26, 2023
Caltech Astronomy Public Lecture, Pasadena, California
5:00pm - Cahill Auditorium, 1200 East California Blvd, Pasadena, CA
September 26, 2023
Mountain Ave. Elementary School, Los Angeles, California
8:20am -
September 25, 2023
Magnolia Elementary School, Los Angeles, California
9:00am -
September 24, 2023
Once Upon A Time Bookstore, Montrose, California
2:00pm - 2207 Honolulu Ave, Montrose, CA 91020
To have Jorge visit your school or institution, please e-mail
jorgephdcomics.com
Testimonials!
"
Jorge Cham was just amazing. He made all the kids want to study the universe and beyond. Kids are still talking about him.
"
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Ms. Kona, School Librarian, Magnolia Elementary, Upland, CA
"
Super relatable and exciting. The kids can't wait to get their hands on the book.
"
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Ms. Bellbottomly, Teacher, Mountain Av. Elementary, La Crescenta, CA
"
Jorge Cham's presentation was awesome, brilliant and engaging.
"
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Ms. Nunn, 3rd grade Teacher, Atkinson Elementary, Portland, OR
"
Super interactive. The kids were very excited, there was a line of 100 kids who wanted to get his autograph.
"
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Mr. Keefer, Principal, Vernon School, Portland, OR
"
Highly engaging, it was a great opportunity for us. The kids formed core memories they'll remember forever.
"
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Ms. Sylvester, School Librarian, Faubion School, Portland, OR
"
Book it. So much fun, it was amazing and mind-boggling. All the kids loved it.
"
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Ms. Hilton, School Librarian, Atkinson Elementary, Portland, OR
"
Super engaging. We tricked kids into learning about math and science! I now have a list a mile long of readers that want to check out the book.
"
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Ms. B., school librarian, George Middle School, Portland, OR
"
It was wonderful. The kids were so interested to learn about the Universe. Jorge was very engaging, he drew them right in with humor, drawings and having kids be a part of the story with cartoons of them. He hooked and inspired them while teaching them real facts. It was very multi-sensory, and the kids were very focused.
"
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Ms. Martin, Reading Specialist, North Scituate Elementary, Scituate, RI
"
Dr. Jorge's visit to our school was engaging, hilarious, and incredibly informative, too! He knew just what to share with a middle school audience (comparing the ever-expanding universe to a fart? Brilliant.) and kept students on the edge of their seats with live sketches and mind-blowing facts. What impressed me most was his ability to connect with such a vast variety of students. As a writer, he shared about the process of becoming an author, which our literary-minded students loved. WIth his live-time drawings, he captured the attention of our visual artists. And through his approachable connections to scientific concepts, he engaged our aspiring scientists. Thank you, Dr. Jorge!
"
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Ms. Mahrt, Teacher Librarian, Beaumont Middle School, Portland, OR
"
We were so fortunate to have a visit from author/illustrator Jorge Cham at our library. Jorge had our diverse group of students and faculty riveted with his comedic approach to explaining the universe, and we learned a ton! Jorge discussed his book, "Oliver's Great Big Universe" and we explored the nuances of the Big Bang, the Milky Way, the speed of light, and more. The students were mesmerized, and they now eagerly await Jorge's next Great Big Universe adventure with Oliver and Co. We love Jorge's approach to storytelling, and the clever ways that his character, Oliver, infuses both scientific fact and humor into such an endearing adventure story.
"
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Ms. Donahue, Library Media Specialist, Hennigan K-8 School, Jamaica Plain, MA
"
It was fantastic. Dr. Cham had them spellbound. We'd love to have him come back for his next book.
"
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Ms. O'Dwyer, Librarian, The Condon K-8 School, Boston, MA
"
The kids were highly engaged and laughing. It was right up their alley. You could see the wheels turning in their heads. I can't wait to get Dr. Cham's book in our class library."
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Ms. Town, Teacher, Becker Elementary, Austin, TX
"
It was VERY entertaining. Kids loved the humor. It got them more excited about science.
"
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Ms. Condron, Librarian, Cook Elementary, Austin, TX
To have Jorge visit your school or institution, please e-mail
jorgephdcomics.com
Follow Jorge on Social Media
Get updates on the book release, tour dates and more. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and other social media below:
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