Carl Harvey and Coleen Salley, 2004

Coleen Salley, Carl Harvey, and Terry Young at Emeril's Restaurant, 2006

We have lost a true lover of children’s literature.  Coleen Salley, retired professor of children’s literature, author, and storyteller, passed away today in Baton Rouge.  I had the pleasure of meeting Coleen at the Butler Children’s Literature Conference in 2004 as her host for the day.  Since then, I had the chance to see her at various conferences and visited with her in her home in the French Quarter in New Orleans.  With Coleen, she told you just exactly what she thought.  A spitfire of a character, it was always fun just to sit and talk with her.  My students love her Epossomundas books illustrated by Janet Stevens.  I have a CD of Coleen reading the books and it is always a treat to listen to her booming southern voice reading those books.  We’ll certainly miss her.