What's the Actually Factually Difference? by Jane Wilsher

Today's read heads into one of my favorite directions—nonfiction! This is the section of the library that my kids always headed to  (and still head to) first. So, I was smiling when I got my hands on today's read. 

This book was released the beginning of February and holds a collection of many facts and tidbits. It appears that it's one to be picked up every now and then, and not necessarily read all in one go (although I'm sure there will be such readers, too). I'm hoping there will be some interesting facts and a little bit of fun.

Oh, and it's MMGM day (Marvelous Middle Grade Monday), so if you love middle grade reads, head on over HERE to discover more suggestions from other readers. 

Ready to see if there's something new to learn in these pages? 

WHAT'S THE ACTUALLY FACTULLY DIFFERENCE?

by Jane Wilsher

Illustrated by Liz Kay

words & pictures

Middle Grade Nonfiction

112 pages

ages 8 to 11

What's the actually factually difference? One question. Over 200 particularly pernickety answers. Wow friends and family with the answers and more in this detailed encyclopedia, ideal for picking up over and over again.  

What's the difference between a country and a continent? What's the difference between an alligator and a crocodile?And what about a wormhole and a black hole? Well, there are seven continents and nearly 200 countries. You’d need to run faster from a gator than a croc, but a croc has sharper teeth and a flatter snout. And as for the trickiness of black holes and wormholes, you'll have to read inside to find the answer to that one. . .  

What's the Actually Factually Difference? is an upbeat, fact-packed encyclopedia exploring the difference between over a hundred pairs. With sections on space, the body, the world, food, technology, transport, animals, and more, What's the Actually Factually Difference? is an accessible introduction to all kinds of popular subjects for children, extending learning by drilling down into the ‘actually factually’ detail of what’s what.

For every pair, the same taxing question, "What’s the difference between?", is asked and answered. Each time, both words are defined, including any similarities and differences. Additional pull-outs and facts are also included for every pair. Authored by Jane Wilsher with detailed and amusing artwork from Liz Kay, every fact is brought to life with humor and wit in this expansive title.

What's the Actually Factually Difference? opens up a world of facts and quizzing with family and friends. This fresh and fun encyclopedia brings non-fiction to life in an exciting new way, making it the perfect next adventure for curious young minds. 

GOODREADS    /     AMAZON    /     B&N

MY TIDBITS

Facts and information hit with with dizzying fun for those who love to know more about tons of different things.

Some things appear to be very similar, so much so that it's hard to know exactly what the differences are, such as  meteors, meteorites, and meteoroids. This book takes a look at all sorts of things, which often can be mixed up or misunderstood. 

The read starts with a quick introduction to various ways the book can be 'used' in more ways than just a read. There are a couple hints for various ways to work it into games and more. The book is divided into thirteen chapters, which include everything from things found in space to plants to historical tidbits and more. There's a very thorough index at the end to help keep everything organized and easy to locate. In each of these chapters, many pairs of terms are presented with quick explanations and very short, extra facts in little bubbles. There's a chaotic atmosphere to the format, which keeps the enjoyment and excitement high. Yet, it's no trouble to sort through the information. The facts are clear, interesting, and include more known things as well as lesser known ones. Some are more difficult concepts, while others are fairly 'easy'. In other words, it makes sure to touch upon a wide variety of interests to give a little something for everyone.

The illustrations are bright, bold, and bring across aspects of the facts in clear fashion, while keeping the atmosphere light. It's clear that the author and illustrator wanted to steer away from dry and boring, and they accomplish this nicely.

And here they are...

Jane Wilsher is an author and editor from the UK, and the founder of bop Publishing. Jane is the author of What Do Scientists Do All Day? (Wide Eyed, Editions, 2020), An Encyclopedia of Unbelievable Facts (Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2021) and 21 Things to Do With a Tree (Ivy Kids, 2023).

Liz Kay is a freelance illustrator based in Yorkshire. When not busy doodling, Liz is usually found hiking and biking around the Yorkshire countryside and playing tennis for my local club. She’s worked on a variety of commissions across illustrated maps, hand lettering and calligraphy, greetings cards, infographics, children’s books, newspapers and magazines, and animation.

21 Things To Do With a Mud Pie by Jane Wilsher

 Mud pies, anyone? When I saw today's read, I was all in for a look...and very curious as to what the suggestions might be surrounding mud pies. While I know mud pies in their 'baked goods' form, I have no doubt they can lead to other projects. Let's see what this book suggests and how creative it gets.

21 THINGS TO DO WITH A MUD PIE

An outdoor activity book

by Jane Wilsher

Illustrated by Teo Georgiev

Ivy Kids Eco

Children's Activity

32 pages

ages 6 to 8

COMING SEPTEMBER 3rd!!!

Build towers out of baked mud bricks, gather soil to make a home for worms or ants, and decorate a gigantic mud pie with flowers, twigs, and leaves.

Packed with arts and crafts, games, thought exercises, science experiments, and more, this fun and educational book gets kids to experience the wonder of nature – and talks them through how to safely (and cleanly!) play with slimy, squelchy mud.

…all while helping them to develop an understanding of its fantastic superpowers, from its role in growing plants to the warm and comfortable home it makes for diverse animal species.

With dedicated how-to boxes and step-by-step instructions, as well as splashes of informative detail on ecosystems, plant growth, and more, this book is a companion to all sorts of outside activities that can be done wrapped up warm on a muddy autumn day, or baking in the sun at the height of summer.

The activities can be done in any order, some alone, some with a grown-up, or group of friends.

GOODREADS    /    PUBLISHER

MY TIDBITS

Squishy, grimy, and packed with oh-so-many possibilities, the wonder of mud is explored in a way that won't necessarily have parents pointing kids to the bathtub with tons of soap in hand.

These pages take a peek at the world of mud. While I expected this read to head into a crafting direction—and it definitely does that too—it's takes a look at the purpose, living space, and a bit of science surrounding mud. The table of contents gives a run-down of the 21 mud ideas, which include everything from the classic mud-pie creations to more biology based worm habitats and gardening in the mud. And for those parents, who are already cringing at the idea of the upcoming mess, there's a tip section, which lays out some basic, safe, and cleanlier handling tips (although it is mud, after all). I was a little sad to see that the '21 things' aren't really 21 separate ideas, but do cheat a little with some sliding more into explanations or preparations rather than specific, independent ideas. But there's still tons of goodness in these pages.

Each page carries a very active illustration with characters, who are doing several different things at the same time. The running-around gives a busy impression at first glance, but also draws in. The text, which describes facts or how-to for the projects, is in block form (for the most part) and well set to the age group as well as clearly printed, but there are also more than a few extra bits of information scattered and placed everywhere. These take every shape and form to create an almost hectic scene, but it does a lovely job at bringing readers to take the time to gaze at every page and sink in. It keeps things lively and offers quick spurts of facts and more. The how-tos are well done and should be no problem for readers to follow.

Not only creative readers will enjoy the various project ideas, but science fans will have a chance to learn more about dirt and mud. This makes it a lovely add-on for homeschool themes or as a fun alternative to classroom possibilities as well.

And here they are...

Jane Wilsher is an author and editor from the UK, and the founder of bop Publishing. Jane is the author of What Do Scientists Do All Day? (Wide Eyed, Editions, 2020), An Encyclopedia of Unbelievable Facts (Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2021) and 21 Things to Do With a Tree (Ivy Kids, 2023).

Teo Georgiev is an independent Helsinki-based illustrator working in publishing, children’s literature, and branding.