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Ms.
Salley graduated from Louisiana State University. After 30 years at
the University of New Orleans she retired as Distinguished Professor
of Children's Literature.
She has been Visiting Professor at Simmons College
in Boston, MA, University of Southern California, University of
Denver, George Peabody College in Nashville, TN, and Louisiana State
University. Organizations that have received her presentations include
the American Library Association, International Reading Association
and American Booksellers Association. She is the winner of several
awards for distinguished professional accomplishments, notably the
Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher of the Year in 1972, the Distinguished
Faculty Award, L.S.U. Alumni Association in 1983, and the Essae
M. Culver Society Award, Louisiana Libray Association in 1989.
Ms. Salley has toured the world, spreading her joie
de vivre as an envoy of reading and the oral tradition. She
has made presentations in Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Egypt, Austria,
Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and most of the United States.
Her broadcast appearances include a Visa commercial
in which she starred as the Cajun storyteller and was broadcast
nationally during 1991. She has entertained the animation departments
at Disney Studios and P.I.X.A.R Films. She is a regular at the New
Orleans Jazz Fest where she tells stories in the Children's Tent.
Some commercially available audiocassettes and CD's
that Ms. Salley has made are The Cajun Night
Before Christmas (Pelican), The Tub People
(HarperCollins), Cocodrile Cajun Classics
(More Than a Card Press).
Ms. Salley has authored four children's books, "Epossumondas",
and "Why Epossumondas
Has No Hair On His Tail?", and "Epossumondas Saves The Day", all illustrated by Janet Stevens
(Harcourt Inc.) as well as "Who's
That Tripping Over My Bridge?" illustrated by Amy Dixon (Pelican
Publishing)
Janet Stevens immortalized Ms. Salley in To
Market, To Market (Harcourt Inc.) and she was the inspiration
for Tomie de Paola's Befana in The Legend of
Old Befana. Six other authors and illustrators have dedicated
picture books to her. Read
those dedications.
Ms. Salley lives in the French Quarter in New Orleans,
Louisiana where she entertains countless friends and relatives.
Since 1974, Ms. Salley has been a Mardi Gras attraction, reigning
as Queen over her zany Krewe of Coleen's walking parade. Another
passion is the Christmas holidays when she lavishly decorates her
house in the French Quarter to receive visitors on the French Quarter
Patio Tour. Ms. Salley erects no less than 7 Christmas trees decorated
with ornaments collected from her many travels around the world!
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