Frances Trego Montgomery

Born in Philadelphia in 1858, Frances Trego Montgomery became an American writer known mainly for children's books. She is most closely associated with the popular Billy Whiskers series, centered on the escapades of a spirited goat, and she built a reputation for stories that were energetic, funny, and easy for young readers to enjoy.

Beyond Billy Whiskers, Montgomery also wrote imaginative tales including The Wonderful Electric Elephant and On a Lark to the Planets. These books are often noted today because they brought fantasy and early science-fiction ideas into children's reading at the start of the 20th century.

She died in 1925. Although much of her work belongs to an earlier era, her name remains linked to a memorable animal character and to a moment when children's fiction was beginning to mix everyday adventure with bold inventions and dreamlike travel.