Drowning was the best thing that ever happened to Tom. Before, he was just another poor orphan, employed by the evil chimney-sweep, Grimes, who beat and overworked him. But now, he has escaped that life and become a water baby. From the river to the ocean, "The Water Babies" follows Tom’s fun and moving adventures as he meets all sorts of unique, aquatic creatures. A wonder of Victorian fantasy, Charles Kingsley’s imaginative 1863 classic has been a mainstay of British children's literature for decades. A huge hit in its time, it lead to reforms that relieved the suffering of young chimney-sweeps like Tom. Charles Kingsley (1819-1875) was an English novelist, priest of the Church of England, historian, professor, and social reformer. His most famous work is the classic fantasy novel "The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby" (1863).