Oliver's Great Big Universe

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"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

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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:

TerritoryLanguagePublisher
BrazilPortugueseEditora Rocco
China (Mainland)Chinese (simplified)United Sky
CroatiaCroatianZnanje
FranceFrenchEditions Larousse
GreeceGreekMetaichmio
ItalyItalianDeAgostini
JapanJapaneseAsunaro
Latin AmericaSpanishOceano
PolandPolishOtwarte
RomaniaRomanianBookzone
RussiaRussianMann-Ivanov-Ferber (MIF)
South KoreaKoreanMirae N
SwedenSwedishB. Wahlströms Bokförlag
TurkeyTurkishIndigo Kitap
U.K., Australia, CommonwealthEnglishSimon and Shuster
United States and CanadaEnglishAbrams


The Great Big Universe
* Book Tour! *

The Great Big Universe

* Book Tour! *

Oliver's Great Big Universe

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."

More Info - Add to calendar

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."

More Info - Add to calendar

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
jorge@phdcomics.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. "
- Ms. Kona, School Librarian, Magnolia Elementary, Upland, CA

" Super relatable and exciting. The kids can't wait to get their hands on the book. "
- Ms. Bellbottomly, Teacher, Mountain Av. Elementary, La Crescenta, CA

" Jorge Cham's presentation was awesome, brilliant and engaging. "
- 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. "
- 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. "
- Ms. Sylvester, School Librarian, Faubion School, Portland, OR

" Book it. So much fun, it was amazing and mind-boggling. All the kids loved it. "
- 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. "
- 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. "
- 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! "
- 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. "
- 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. "
- 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."
- Ms. Town, Teacher, Becker Elementary, Austin, TX

" It was VERY entertaining. Kids loved the humor. It got them more excited about science. "
- Ms. Condron, Librarian, Cook Elementary, Austin, TX

To have Jorge visit your school or institution, please e-mail
jorge@phdcomics.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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