Written in an engaging narrative with a dash of witty humour, Wilsher unmuddles the things that are often.. well muddling. The ‘they are same but different’ words get an encylopaedia treatment, replete with meanings, jargon busters, and vivid and delightful illustrations, making it a compelling must read choice for young kids. Wilsher covers a wide range of words across genres of Space, World, Nature, Human Body, and Technology.

What is the difference between a Prime Minister and a President, between a satellite and a probe? Or a dolphin and a porpoise? And the eternal favourite — what is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator. Well, one will see you in a while and the other later! Ha! I kid, but the book offers the promise of hours of entertainment, and is ideal for kids and adults alike.

Accessible, and easy to read and understand, and each time a similar but also dissimilar word appears, Wilsher defines both the words, the similarities and the differences between them, and inputs additional facts, helping retain the information.

A well laid out book with interesting facts for the young curious minds, this is the perfect next book to pick at the bookstore or your local library.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Books for the ARC.

I love everything about this book, except the title! Surely it should be "What's the Actual Factual Difference?" or "What's Actually Factually the Difference?" It just doesn't make sense! Anyway, that aside, the book is fab. It takes two similar things or concepts (12-hour and 24-hour clock, glacier and fjord, aardvark and anteater) and compares them, explaining the similarities and differences. The illustrations are great and the whole layout of the book is really engaging and accessible. I've really enjoyed reading it and know to will be a popular addition to the school library.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. This was a fun read and has some interesting facts. This is a great book for a kid that always wants to know everything and why.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.

Interesting nonfiction boot with tons of interesting information for children (and adults). Well written and then illustrations are perfect for the book .

Book Review: What's the Actually Factually Difference? by Jane Wilsher

Rating: 4 Stars

When I first picked up "What's the Actually Factually Difference?" by Jane Wilsher, I was immediately charmed by its delightful cover. The vibrant illustrations promised an engaging journey into a world of fascinating facts, and the book certainly delivered on that promise. This encyclopedia is a treasure trove for anyone with an inquisitive mind, especially middle-graders eager to explore the similarities and differences between over 150 comparative pairs.

The book kicks off with a friendly note on how to navigate its pages, setting the stage for a fun and educational experience. Each chapter tackles a different subject, from space and animals to technology and history, making it easy to dive into any topic that piques your interest. As someone who loves learning about the world in bite-sized pieces, I found this format particularly appealing.

The author's method of clarifying both common and uncommon confusables is smart and highly effective.. For example, she clearly explains the difference between a country and a continent, shedding light on concepts that might seem simple but often get muddled. Similarly, her comparison of an alligator and a crocodile is both informative and entertaining, packed with additional facts that make you feel like a quiz master in the making.

One of the book's standout features is its excellent illustrations. They not only complement the text but also bring each fact to life with humor and wit. The visuals are a feast for the eyes and enhance the learning experience, making complex ideas accessible and engaging for young readers.

Overall, "What's the Actually Factually Difference?" is a cool book that's as informative as it is fun. It's an ideal option for curious young minds looking to expand their understanding of the world. While it might not be a five-star masterpiece for everyone, it's certainly deserving of four stars in my book. It’s a fresh and fun encyclopedia that I can see myself picking up again and again, sharing newfound knowledge with friends and family along the way.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Thank you NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It is a very fascinating book and the illustration is very engaging. This is a book I would have bought myself when I was in elementary school. It is a Pictionary/encyclopedia and can be read and enjoyed so many times.

Some of the words chosen and compared are always confused and used wrong, like alligator and crocodile.

But some of the comparisons I am not sure why they are chosen. Like country and continent. I am sure that some children might confuse them, but comparing them here links them together for those who don’t confuse them and creates the problem.

First day of school, my daughter’s first grade teacher said I work hard with children so they would not confuse letter ‘M’ and letter ‘B’. And at the end of the year everyone was confusing these letters.

Binding pairs like this might create the same problem.

What an amazing book for any child (or adult) that loves to learn about all things! This book has a little bit of everything - space, money, plants, transportation, hobbies, jobs, animals, tech, history, the body, food, our world, and other random things. Every page is colorfully illustrated with amazing detail. I loved all of the little bits of information on each topic. I really think that helps keep a child's attention. Every page is something new to keep the reader entertained, reading, and learning. I like that this book contains a table of contents, Jargon Buster (glossary), and an index. Some nonfiction books do not have these features and with all of the information, they really make it easy to navigate if you're reading for certain topics. I will be buying this book for my classroom! I think it will be worth the investment and a very well loved book!

Thank you Jane Wilsher and Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book via NetGalley. This review was voluntarily written and all opinions are my own.

What’s the Actually Factually Difference? by Jane Wilsher is a fun and informative encyclopedia of many comparative pairs, grouped within themes of space, transportation, food, weather, human body, animals and so many more topics.

The book is well laid-out with plenty of fun facts, well-explained concepts and my children especially appreciated the use of the ‘jargon buster’ and index to find extra information of interest.
My children have been so excited to share their learnings from this delightful resource, and it has prompted many other learning opportunities. The colourful and appropriately detailed illustrations, make this a visually appealing resource.

This would be a wonderful addition to any home or school library, or a great gift for curious minds of varying ages.

With thanks to Quarto Publishing Group – words & pictures and NetGalley, for the digital review copy for review consideration with an honest review.

Colourfully illustrated children's non-fiction presenting various terms and concepts starting from astronomy through geography, animals, human body and interspersed with bonus pages of random factoids.

I actually thought it would be about commonly confused / misspelled words or homophones, but it's more general pop-science introducing basic concepts from various areas of knowledge.

Personally I feel when it comes to children's non-fiction it's best when it focuses on something specific than being so generic (cue my nostalgia about my childhood collection of books about dinosaurs, sharks, planes, architecture, astronomy and who knows what else). It's probably a good reference book to create trivia games for kids and such.

When it comes to the illustration style, I felt it was very simple and even though characters had different skin colours, they felt having same-face syndrome as if a default white person was recoloured.

Recommended for early elementary school children who are just learning basic concepts about the world and want to expand their vocabulary.

Thank you Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for the ARC!

I loved the way this science book was organized. The pictures are great and have just the right amount of detail, and are accompanied by so much information. This is a book that could entertain the same child for years because of the layers of information.
When I first started taking more advanced science classes, we learned about classification, and that's the thing this book does really well. Kids can learn to look at their world and figure things out on their own.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I got this bookm from netgalley, thank you for the oprotunity to read it.

This is a great non fiction book that would work for 3-10 year olds. Lots of nice fact for curios people. And nice pictures.
I myself leared some new things at 32 while reading it.

In today`s world of fake facts, fake news, and so many stories, non fiction like this has an important place in people bookshelfs.

I highly recomend this book.

It comes out the 4th of february, I say preorder it for the kid in your life. Or yourself.

Oh this was a great read. The illustrator did a great job. There is tons of information from outer space to the human body with lots to learn.

This book was so fun! It shows a great way to feed the knowledge that many neurodivergent students crave and can give them different types of facts. I would love to get a copy of this for my classroom when it is published.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for the digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased, honest review of the book.

Nonfiction book containing similarities and differences on several topics. What's the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? The difference between a country and a continent, and many more fun-filled sections. Encyclopedic book on technology, space, animals, and more.

"What's the Actually Factually Difference?" is a lighthearted informational book that explains the difference between many sets of similar words and concepts. I found this book to have great, colorful illustrations, and clear explanations, appropriate for a kid to read and understand. I would recommend this book especially for a precocious reader, as they will probably encounter some of these terms in their regular reading, and this helps clarify. My personal favorite was in the animals section: spine vs. quill. Very cool!

I love everything about What's the Actually Factually Difference? Everything works together to catch your eyes and capture your interest:

- the use of different fonts and backgrounds on the pages,
- illustrations that perfectly match the information being presented,
- the clear and complete but not complicated explanations on a plethora of topics,
- the glossary
- the many ways you can read this book (from start to finish, the open the book wherever approach, find your topic via the glossary, or make a game of it)

This is a fascinating book that will be enjoyed by curious children (ages 4 - 12) and the adults who love them alike.

My thanks to Words and Pictures for permitting me to access a DRC via NetGalley. Publication is 2/4/25. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

What’s the Actually Factually Difference? by Jane Wilsher is an engaging and educational treasure trove for curious minds of all ages. With its vibrant illustrations and playful yet informative tone, this book dives into fascinating comparisons to explore the differences between things we often assume are the same. From decoding the contrasts between crocodiles and alligators to unraveling what separates meteors from meteorites, Wilsher has crafted a delightful guide that makes learning irresistible.

The book’s format is particularly appealing, featuring bite-sized chunks of information that are perfect for young readers while still engaging enough for adults. It sparks curiosity by posing questions readers might not have thought to ask, making it a wonderful resource for classrooms, family reading, or trivia enthusiasts.

Illustrations throughout the book bring the content to life, complementing the text and making complex concepts accessible. Wilsher’s ability to blend humor with factual accuracy ensures that readers walk away both entertained and enlightened.

Whether you're a budding scientist or simply someone who loves quirky facts, What’s the Actually Factually Difference? is a delightful journey through the world of knowledge. It encourages readers to look closer, ask questions, and embrace the joy of discovery. Highly recommended!

Well I don't want to sound a curmudgeon, but I would have hoped people can tell the difference between sunrise and sunset – likewise thunder and lightning. But those pairs are here in relevant scientific chapters, and two of, we're told, 150 couples of often-confused things this covers and clarifies.

To be fair the book offers far more factoids than that – just the page next to the sunrise/set duo, on a star and a sun, tells us why stars twinkle from our point of view, and that lightning is hotter than the surface of the sun. And within these pages are key things that adults will still sometimes have to pause and think over. The difference between atom and molecule… which is latitude and which longitude. It doesn't impact daily life how an alligator is not a crocodile, but it might give you kudos with the kids.

But the thing is, this is slight – and yes it does allow for the random browse to give you a chance discovery. But so would any other books – if you are caught between bacteria and viruses you'd look at a medicine-minded tome, and probably find a lot more that you didn't know you needed to know. The conceit of pairing everything is kind of weakened when we see more than two kinds or teeth and more stringed instruments contrasted. I mean, yes, this has to be welcomed for being that varied, but so much of the couples are quick one-point round-ups delivered six to a page that this leaves you crying out for something more in-depth. A quirky educational effort, trying to be a school library in one, versus a school library proving that ain't never gonna happen.

This is the type of informative book I would've loved to have as a child. Great for inquisitive little minds.

I am literally obsessed with this book.

I would have begged my parents to buy me this as a kid, and as an adult it's one I'll have on hand for gifts!

This is jammed packed with fun and detailed information on all sorts of similar things!

The illustrations are absolute perfection - I especially loved the chapter on space!