Skip to content

No image available
No image available

The Water-Babies Hardcover - 1979

by Kingsley, Charles


About this book

The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby is a children's novel by the Reverend Charles Kingsley. Written in 1862-1863 as a serial for Macmillan's Magazine, it was first published in its entirety in 1863. The book was extremely popular during its day, and was a mainstay of children's literature through the 1920s, but eventually fell out of favor in part due to its prejudices against Irish, Jews, Catholics, blacks, Americans, and the poor.

In the style of Victorian-era novels, The Water-Babies is a didactic moral fable about a young chimney sweep, Tom, who falls into a river and becomes a 'water-baby,' guided by moral teachers through lessons and adventures, eventually earning the right to become human again and being united with an upper-class girl Ellie who had also become a 'water-baby.'


First Edition Identification

First edition (London Macmillan and Company 1863) is usually without the L'Envoi leaf as is almost always encountered as the author had it removed from all but the first 200 or so copies. Illustrations in this edition include two full page plates by J. Noel Paton and with a number of small illustrations used throughout as opening initials.

Details

  • Title The Water-Babies
  • Author Kingsley, Charles
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Edition Facsimile Editio
  • Pages 280
  • Publisher Godfrey Cave Associates Ltd, London
  • Date 1979
  • ISBN 9780333260166
Back to Top

More Copies for Sale

The Water Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby

The Water Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land-Baby

by Charles Kingsley

  • Used
  • very good
Condition
Used - Very Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780333260166 / 0333260163
Quantity Available
1
Seller
Newtown, New South Wales, Australia
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Item Price
NZ$38.96
NZ$38.96 shipping to USA

Show Details

Description:
London, U.K.: Macmillan & Co. , 1979 280 pages, with beautiful full colour illustrations. The dust jacket has a little wear, with some foxing, and a few minor scuffs. The page edges are lightly tanned. Books listed here are not stored at the shop. Please contact us if you want to pick up a book from Newtown.. Hardcover. Very Good/Good. Illus. by Linley Sambourne.
Item Price
NZ$38.96
NZ$38.96 shipping to USA