Oliver's Great Big Universe

English language

Published 2023 by Abrams, Inc..

ISBN:: 978-1-4197-6408-0

(1 review)

Cosmos meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Oliver’s Great Big Universe , an original illustrated middle-grade fiction series that blends science with narrative from the Emmy Award–nominated creator of PBS’s Elinor Wonders Why .

I know what you’re thinking. What makes an average 11-year-old kid qualified to tell you anything about the universe?

Am I famous scientist? No.

Am I a super-genius at everything? Not really.

Oliver has a lot going on starting his first year of middle school—new friends, new classes, new everything. But at least there’s one thing that still makes science! Determined to be an astrophysicist one day, Oliver explains everything he learns—like how the sun burps, how ghost particles fly through you, the uncanny similarities between Mercury and cafeteria meatballs, and most important, how the Big Bang is basically just like a fart in the school hallway. (Also, there are time-bending black holes, exploding supernova …

Cosmos meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid in Oliver’s Great Big Universe , an original illustrated middle-grade fiction series that blends science with narrative from the Emmy Award–nominated creator of PBS’s Elinor Wonders Why .

I know what you’re thinking. What makes an average 11-year-old kid qualified to tell you anything about the universe?

Am I famous scientist? No.

Am I a super-genius at everything? Not really.

Oliver has a lot going on starting his first year of middle school—new friends, new classes, new everything. But at least there’s one thing that still makes science! Determined to be an astrophysicist one day, Oliver explains everything he learns—like how the sun burps, how ghost particles fly through you, the uncanny similarities between Mercury and cafeteria meatballs, and most important, how the Big Bang is basically just like a fart in the school hallway. (Also, there are time-bending black holes, exploding supernova stars, and aliens! Well, there could be aliens.)

Oliver finally feels like he’s starting to figure things out . . . but can he stay out of the principal’s office or catch a break from his annoying sister?

With laugh-out-loud humor and cartoon-style illustrations from the bestselling writer and creator of PHD Comics , Jorge Cham, Oliver’s Great Big Universe is a STEAM-themed, diary-style series following an 11-year-old who’s taking on the whole universe—if he can survive middle school first.

3 editions

Soh Kam Yung reviewed Oliver's Great Big Universe by Jorge Cham

A humourous young reader's guide to the universe.

3 stars

A light-hearted and entertaining book on the adventures of 11-year-old Oliver. After seeing a presentation by Dr. Howard, an astrophysicist, Oliver decides that is what he wants to be when he grows up. In the meantime, he plans to bother Dr. Howard with questions about astrophysics and write down the answers in a book when he will then present to his fellow students. This is that book, along with various shenanigans that Oliver gets into while writing the book.

The book lightly covers topics about modern astrophysics like the big bang, black holes, the sun and planets, the size of the universe, the end of the universe and the nature of time. Aimed at young readers, it is quite light on details but filled with enough unusual facts about the universe that readers can trot out for dinner conversations. Comics related to the topics also fill the pages and help …

A light-hearted and entertaining book on the adventures of 11-year-old Oliver. After seeing a presentation by Dr. Howard, an astrophysicist, Oliver decides that is what he wants to be when he grows up. In the meantime, he plans to bother Dr. Howard with questions about astrophysics and write down the answers in a book when he will then present to his fellow students. This is that book, along with various shenanigans that Oliver gets into while writing the book.

The book lightly covers topics about modern astrophysics like the big bang, black holes, the sun and planets, the size of the universe, the end of the universe and the nature of time. Aimed at young readers, it is quite light on details but filled with enough unusual facts about the universe that readers can trot out for dinner conversations. Comics related to the topics also fill the pages and help to add humorous asides to the chapters.

A book that could help to keep young readers entertained, while also making them curious about the surrounding universe. A short list of websites and books are provided at the end for those who want to know more.