Charles Kingsley was a priest, university professor, historian and novelist. The Water-Babies was his most famous novel and was originally written and published as a serial in Macmillan's Magazine from 1862-1863 before being published in its entirety as a book in 1863.
Mabel Lucie Attwell was a British illustrator known for her drawings of children, based on her daughter, Peggy. She studied at Heatherley's and Saint Martin's School of Art before illustrating for magazines and books, including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Peter Pan and The Water-Babies.