The Water-Babies, A Fairy Tale for a Land Baby is a children's novel by the Reverend Charles Kingsley. Written from 1862 to 63 as a serial for Macmillan's Magazine, it was first published in its entirety in 1863. Written as part as a satire in support of Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species. The book was extremely popular in England, and was a mainstay of British children's literature for many decades. The book is beautifully illustrated by Jesse Willcox Smith.