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The Water-Babies
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The Water-Babies Paperback - 1995

by Charles Kingsley; Brian Alderson (Editor)


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.'


From the publisher

The Water-Babies (1863) has claim to being the most peculiar book ever to achieve the status of a children's classic. The story follows Tom in his land-life as a climbing boy for a chimney sweep and in his after-life as a water-baby, where he gains redemption from selfishness as well as from
drudgery. On top of this fantasy Kingsley grafts a series of digressions and comic asides, through which he comments on a range of contemporary issues.
This is the first edition to explore fully Kingsley's text, its variants, and its iconography, and to annotate the many references which enrich the story.

From the rear cover

The story follows Tome in his land-life as a climbing boy for a chimney-sweep and in his after-life as a water-baby, where he gains redemption from selfishness as well as from drudgery. On to his fantasy Kingsley grafts a series of digressions and comic asides, through which he comments on a range of contemporary issues.

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 Charles Kingsley; Brian Alderson (Editor)
  • Binding Paperback
  • Edition Reprint
  • Pages 270
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Oxford University Press, USA, Oxford
  • Date 1995-03
  • ISBN 9780192822383 / 0192822381
  • Weight 0.26 lbs (0.12 kg)
  • Dimensions 7.33 x 4.61 x 0.49 in (18.62 x 11.71 x 1.24 cm)
  • Ages 09 to 12 years
  • Grade levels 4 - 7
  • Reading level 1070
  • Library of Congress subjects Fairy tales, Fantasy
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 94011775
  • Dewey Decimal Code 823.8
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Water Babies (World's Classics)

Water Babies (World's Classics)

by Kingsley, Charles

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  • Paperback
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Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780192822383 / 0192822381
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The Water-Babies
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The Water-Babies

by Kingsley, Charles

  • Used
  • very good
  • Paperback
Condition
Used - Very Good
Edition
Reprint
Binding
Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780192822383 / 0192822381
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Oxford: OUP, 1995. Reprint . Soft cover. Very Good/No Jacket Issued. 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. softcover, 230 pages, small name on flyleaf, otherwise very good. shelf 243.
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The Water-Babies
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The Water-Babies

by Kingsley, Charles

  • Used
Condition
Used - Good
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780192822383 / 0192822381
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The Water-Babies

The Water-Babies

by Charles Kingsley

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Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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The Water-Babies (The World's Classics)
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The Water-Babies (The World's Classics)

by Alderson, Brian

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The Water-Babies
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The Water-Babies

by Kingsley Charles

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ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
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The Water-Babies (Oxford World's Classics)
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The Water-Babies (Oxford World's Classics)

by Charles Kingsley; Editor-Brian Alderson

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Used - Good
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Paperback
ISBN 10 / ISBN 13
9780192822383 / 0192822381
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