Author: Nora A. Smith

Born in Philadelphia, in 1856, Kate Douglas Wiggin lived in Maine, New York City, Santa Barbara, and San Francisco. Having received her education in many forms including ‘dame school, ’ home study, and female seminary, she was only in her twenties when she set up the first free kindergarten on the West Coast of America, in San Francisco. While her mission was in the field of child education, her children”s books remain popular even today. Before editing this delightful selection of ten of the best-known tales from The Arabian Nights, she was also known for Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1903) and wrote many other works for children as well as adults, including The Birds” Christmas Carol, Timothy”s Quest, Penelope”s Progress, and Penelope”s English Experiences. In 1904, she received an honorary degree from Bowdoin College. She died in England, in 1923.