She was 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 was 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 toured the world, spreading her joie de vivre as an envoy of reading and the oral tradition. She made presentations in Hong Kong, China, Thailand, Egypt, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and most of the United States.

Her broadcast appearances included a Visa commercial in which she starred as the Cajun storyteller and was broadcast nationally during 1991. She entertained the animation departments at Disney Studios and P.I.X.A.R Films. She was a regular at the New Orleans Jazz Fest where she told stories in the Children's Tent.

Some commercially available audiocassettes and CD's that Ms. Salley made are The Cajun Night Before Christmas (Pelican), The Tub People (HarperCollins), Cocodrile Cajun Classics (More Than a Card Press).

Ms. Salley 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 lived in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana where she entertained countless friends and relatives. Since 1974, Ms. Salley had been a Mardi Gras attraction, reigning as Queen over her zany Krewe of Coleen's walking parade. Another passion was the Christmas holidays when she lavishly decorated her house in the French Quarter to receive visitors on the French Quarter Patio Tour. Ms. Salley erected no less than 7 Christmas trees decorated with ornaments collected from her many travels around the world!

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