The water-babies: a fairy tale for a land-baby (First Edition.)

Young Tom is a chimney-sweeper's boy who one day falls into a river and drowns, only to be transformed into a water-baby.

Through his encounters with friendly fish, curious lobsters, and characters such as Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby, he sloughs off his selfish nature and earns his just reward.

Tom's comic adventures are constantly interrupted by Kingsley's sideswipes at contemporary issues such as child labour and the British education system, and they offer a rich satiric take on the great scientific debates of the day.