Review: "The Water Babies," by Charles Kingsley

Emily K. Reuter
Mar 25, 2018
2 min read

"The most wonderful and the strongest things in the world, you know, are just the things which no one can see."

- Charles Kingsley - The Water Babies

Also known as A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby, this precious gem published as a book in 1863 tells the story of a young chimney sweep boy who is treated abusively by his master and longs for nothing more than to escape the harsh life of orphanhood Prior to publication in book form, The Water Babies started out as a monthly short story series featured in MacMillan's Magazine.

The story is stuffed with hidden religious metaphors evidenced by Tom catching his first real glimpse of himself in a mirror and seeing how filthy he looks. His heartfelt desire to get clean pushes him to a chase that takes him into a pristine and magical pool where he is able to meet thrilling creatures in effort to wash away his dirtiness. Characters that he befriend include water monkeys, water squirrels and tiny fairies who show him another side to life.

It is fascinating to note that Tom is described as taking a monumental "journey to nowhere" even though he witnesses amazing things along the way that forever change him. What does the author imply here with showing change that gets him nowhere? At the end of the book, Tom graduates from his water journey and finds a home where he grows up to become a "man of science."

Originally written as a children's book, it's intricate and complicated plot and subplot provides a literary analysis 'golden ticket' for the English major who drools over interpreting juxtapositions in text.

A lovely fairy tale with an emphasis on the natural vs. the spiritual world that ends with a move into the inevitable - an acceptance of science.

Modern day - it takes a well-read adult to really make sense of this noteworthy early addition to children's literature which now reads like a modern Dickens novel!