Shannon Kelley Atwater is an author-illustrator based in New Orleans, LA. On first grade, on her student of the week poster, she proclaimed that she wanted to be an artist when she grew up and that dream never died. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts from Loyola University in 2009 and has been working in the arts ever since.

In 2018 Shannon found her true artistic passion when she had the idea for Alligators Don’t Like Flowers. She had always fantasized that she would illustrate a children’s book someday but never thought the story would be her own.  It took some time but in 2022 she got to hold a copy of her first book in her hands.

Shannon lives with her husband, their three kids, a funny little dog named Pancake.  Outside of writing and illustrating books, she’s a self proclaimed Mardi Gras and costuming enthusiast and loves to play dress up.

She has been a featured author at The Louisiana Book Festival, The New Orleans Book Festival, a keynote Author at the Livingston Parish Book Festival and featured on NPR’s the Reading Life with Susan Larson.

Books

• 2022 ALLIGATORS DON’T LIKE FLOWERS, Pelican
• 2023 GOODNIGHT POTHOLE, Pelican
• 2023 RAINBOW RODNEY, Pelican
• 2024 FIVE LITTLE TERMITES, Pelican
• 2024 CLYDE THE GIANT CRAWFISH, Pelican
• 2025 FAIS DO-DO, Pelican
• 2026 GOOD DAY, LOUISIANA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM, Pelican

Press:

• Fifteen Living Louisiana Authors Worth Reading: https://www.whereyat.com/louisiana-authors-worth-reading
• Fais Do-Do on Nola Now:  https://www.fox8live.com/video/2025/08/19/new-book-fais-do-do-hit-childrens-shelves/
• Fais Do-Do - Great Day LA:  https://www.wwltv.com/video/entertainment/television/programs/great-day-louisiana/a-new-kids-book-the-song-that-goes-with-it/289-bac8cb96-2b1a-402d-a68b-cb282e85a979
• Five Little Termites on Nola Now:  https://www.nolanow.com/video/2024/05/22/five-little-termites-book-by-wonderful-shannon-kelley/
• The Reading Life:  https://www.wwno.org/podcast/the-reading-life/2023-02-09/the-reading-life-nikesha-williams-shannon-kelley-atwater
• Great Day LA - Goodnight Pothole:  https://www.wwltv.com/video/entertainment/television/programs/great-day-louisiana/a-new-orleans-take-on-a-classic-childrens-book/289-c98ecf09-d735-4941-b093-107b8416aa7c
• Great Day LA - Meet Rainbow Rodney:  https://www.wwltv.com/video/entertainment/television/programs/great-day-louisiana/meet-rainbow-rodney/289-4ec45c9d-e74e-4ef9-bf98-ca3d37bf0f37
• Fox 8 New Orleans:  https://www.fox8live.com/video/2023/09/27/new-orleans-childrens-author/
• Goodnight Pothole in Nola Adore: https://www.nolaadore.com/culture/potholes-roadwork-other-nola-quirks-are-memorialized-in-this-book/article_3a22fac2-c351-11ed-a66d-ef431b20d882.html
• Mom About Town:  https://www.nolafamily.com/mom-about-town-shannon-kelley-atwater/

*Photo by Ryan Hodgeson Rigsby