The Water Babies
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Product Description
Product Description
Tom, a poor orphan, is employed by the villainous chimney-sweep, Grimes, to climb up inside flues to clear away the soot. While engaged in this dreadful task, he loses his way and emerges in the bedroom of Ellie, the young daughter of the house who mistakes him for a thief. He runs away, and, hot and bothered, he slips into a cooling stream, falls asleep, and becomes a Water Baby.
In his new life, he meets all sorts of aquatic creatures, including an engaging old lobster, other water babies, and at last reaches St Branden's Isle where he encounters the fierce Mrs Bedonebyeasyoudid and the motherly Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby. After a long and arduous quest to the Other-end-of-Nowhere young Tom achieves his heart's desire.
About the Author
Charles Kingsley (1819 – 1875) led quite a wild life at university but, in 1842, he followed in his father’s footsteps and was ordained as a priest. He was a Christian Socialist and spent his life campaigning for such things as better education for girls, and improving the living conditions of the working class. Victorian society was very inflexible and Kingsley was soon branded as a radical. His patriotic attitude to the Crimean War (1854 – 6), made him acceptable again and he became Chaplain to Queen Victoria. Later, royal influence led to his appointment as a Professor of History at Cambridge University. During his ‘out of favour’ years he was a devoted priest in Hampshire and put his beliefs into practice. His work as a parish priest and his lecture tours as a Christian Socialist, always came first, leaving his writing to take second place.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
When I opened this book it said in a note that the text had been Americanized. Why on earth?! It's by an English author and is set in England! And that is what put me off. Admittedly it is a bit hard going, but it is the product of an age gone by. I have read it before and wanted to refresh my memory of it but I gave up after coming across the various American spellings ('color' being the most jarring). Yes, I know some would say this is pathetic and prejudicial. It's only my opinion after all - others will be able to see past that irritation but I cannot
56 of 60 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
When The Water-Babies was read to me when I was very young, I fell in love with it. There aren't very many books that I can remember as well as this one from that age and The Water-Babies is one I will probably never forget. I always wished I was alive in those times, that I was a little girl then, and that I became a Water Baby. When I cut the cake on my 6th birthday party, my wish was that I could meet the charcters from the book, and go into the water and be a water baby. It is books like this that discourage modern authors. It's old-fashioned setting, and young characters rich and poor all add to its magic. And now if I ever hear of a chimney sweep, I think of water babies. Ellie was my favourite character and when I was little I wanted to be just like her. I even wanted my room to be done like hers. I would recommend The Water-Babies to anyone. It's magic is timeless, and I'm sure one day I will be reading it to my children with the same pleasure as my children.
21 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Although this is a fairy story for children, adults will recognise it as also being about the battle between God and Science with the Reverend Kingsley making a great argument for God. As he says at one point, "If Mr.Garth does not find a fox in Eversley Wood - as folks sometimes fear he never will - that does not prove that there are no such things as foxes". Later, there is the tale of the fairy who has learnt to make real butterflies. When she approaches the god-like figure of Mother Carey to boast about this, Mother Carey just laughs and remarks that anyone can learn to make things if they try hard enough, but that not everyone can do what she does which is "make things make themselves." Charles Kingsley was clearly ahead of his time and may even have been predicting genetic engineering here. He had no problem with the idea of evolution and writes about it conversationally in the book, although it must have been shocking to the Victorians. Another very un-Victorian feature of the book is that all of the god-like characters are female. I think this story works brilliantly on both levels, as an imaginative fairy story for children with a moral heart, and as a progressive look at the issues which really matter. One of the all time classics.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Water Babies
I was very dissapointed in this purchase which I bought for my grand daughter aged 6 There was an absence of illustrations and the written words were too small for a child... Read more
Published 6 days ago by Zita
The Water Babies - paperback
Not so much a review of the story, more a review of the printing of the book itself.
This is a very cheap edition, poor quality print and very small lettering. Read more
This is a very cheap edition, poor quality print and very small lettering. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Floridagirl
The Water Babies
I read this book as a child and thought it would be nice to re-read it. Enjoyed it very much.
Published 13 months ago by Janie4cats
"THE WATER BABIES" BY CHARLES KINGSLEY
THE AUTHOR, CHARLES KINGSLEY (12 JUNE 1819 - 23 JANUARY 1875) WAS AN ENGLISH CLERGYMAN AND NOVELIST. Read more
Published 21 months ago by C. Wickham-jones
Great book, great delivery
This book is a great classic which I brought to help out my nephew with his reading. Delivery was very quick too. I'd totally recommend it!
Published on 5 April 2010 by Ms. N. L. Miller
mediocre servcie
if i rate the item: it has 5 stars;
if i rate the seller, he has 1
if i rate the seller, he has 1
Published on 10 Oct 2009 by Jevtic
Not a children's story
As an example of turgid, class-ridden, Victorian moralising, Water Babies has some historial interest. Read more
Published on 19 July 2007 by Minty Jack
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