The Water-Babies – Charles Kingsley 1915 | Illus. W. Heath Robinson

$49.00

Author: The Water-Babies by Charles Kingsley, illustrated by W. Heath Robinson
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, NY, 1915
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good
Size: 8vo
Attributes: First Edition, Illustrated

First US edition, first printing. Light olive cloth, pictorial paste-down, torn and mended with tapes. Binding tight, interior clean, unmarked. With 8 color plates by W. Heath Robinson and dozens of B/W illustrations. Good.

The Water-Babies (1915 edition), written by Charles Kingsley and illustrated by W. Heath Robinson, is a whimsical yet morally charged Victorian fairy tale that follows the adventures of Tom, a young chimney sweep who drowns and transforms into a “water-baby.” His underwater journey—populated by eccentric creatures like Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid and the wise Mother Carey—serves as a fantastical allegory for Christian redemption, social reform (notably child labor laws), and Darwinian evolution.

The 1915 edition, published during World War I, features Heath Robinson’s enchanting black-and-white line drawings, which blend his signature quirky humor and mechanical ingenuity (later famous for his “absurd invention” cartoons). His illustrations capture the story’s satirical edge and ethereal beauty, from Tom’s gilled form to the intricate, almost steampunk-like aquatic worlds.

For Fans of This Edition, Try:

The Wind in the Willows (illus. Arthur Rackham, 1940) – Another British classic with lush nature imagery.
The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald – Victorian fairy tales with moral depth.
Heath Robinson’s Contraptions – Collections of his iconic invention cartoons.