Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Water Babies (BBC Children's Classics)

By: Charles Kingsley
Narrated by: Berlie Doherty, Timothy West, Julia McKenzie
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £7.99

Buy Now for £7.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Summary

Timothy West, Julia McKenzie and Oliver Peace star in this BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Charles Kingsley's classic tale of a chimney sweep who becomes a water baby.

Forced up the chimneys of Hartover Hall by his cruel master, Grimes, young Tom gets lost and comes down the wrong one, frightening little Miss Ellie. In the chase that follows, he is rescued by the fairies and taken to be a water baby under the waves. There, he makes friends with sea creatures such as the Lobster and meets the beautiful, kind fairy Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby and her ugly, unpleasant sister Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid. When he is introduced to the other Water Babies, he is reunited with Ellie, who has also been transformed. With her support, he sets off on a quest to the Other-End-Of-Nowhere. But first he must find Mother Carey's peace pool – and help out the last person he wants to save: his former master....

Oliver Peace stars as Tom, with Timothy West as Charles Kingsley and Julia McKenzie as Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby and Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid. Dramatised by Berlie Doherty. The wonder and excitement of much-loved children's classics lives on in BBC Radio's acclaimed full-cast dramatisations, complete with evocative music and sound effects.

©2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2017 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2
activate_samplebutton_t1

Listeners also enjoyed...

Heidi cover art
The Queen's Nose cover art
Just So Stories cover art
My Family and Other Animals cover art
The Psammead Trilogy cover art
E. Nesbit: A BBC Radio Collection cover art
The Cottage at Bantry Bay cover art
The Princess and the Goblin cover art
Andersen Retold cover art
Puck of Pook's Hill cover art
The Travel and Adventures of Little Baron Trump cover art
Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens & Peter and Wendy cover art
The Celtic Twilight cover art
At the Back of the North Wind cover art
Tales from the Perilous Realm cover art
Roverandom cover art

What listeners say about The Water Babies (BBC Children's Classics)

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    16
  • 4 Stars
    2
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    13
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Water Babies

Absolutely fabulous! Never had the opportunity to read this as a
child . I shall have my two grandchildren listen with me Thank you !

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Nice Children’s Story

A good moral story for children. An old piece from the old fashioned era & still stands today.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Suprised

A plesent surprise to a classic book, has been on my reading list for ages... But so much better to listen to it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Dramatization of Classic Story

Would you consider the audio edition of The Water Babies (BBC Children's Classics) to be better than the print version?

I tried reading the print version of the book, but found it hard going at times. Berlie Doherty did a great job making the story much more easy to understand, and many long winded parts in the original book are cut out.

What did you like best about this story?

The plot moved along at a good pace, and the essential elements of the original story were all there. The lectures in the original book were removed, and the dramatization really brings out the story as a children's classic.

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

The acting was superb, and having the main narration performed as though by the author adds an extra dimension, rather than having a straight narrator. I also really liked the addition of Julia McKenzie, as having her doing the songs really added to the story, since there are some dramatizations where songs are cut out.

Any additional comments?

I remember hearing this broadcast in 1998, and the family made an off air recording of it. I've really enjoyed this version ever since, and was delighted to find it on audible. I remember hearing this broadcast in 1998, and the family made an off air recording of it. I've really enjoyed this version ever since, and was delighted to find it on audible. If you find this book hard to read, try the radio version, you won't regret it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

Great take of the Victorian children that made Britain and how badly they were treated


Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!