About
Mary Shaw first developed the Brady Brady concept while trying to get her hockey-obsessed five-year-old son, Brady, to read. Finding it difficult to divert her son’s attention away from his favorite pastime, she routinely called his name twice to get him to listen. When Brady was young, Shaw noticed that there was a limited selection of early reader sports-themed books available, so she decided to write stories that he would want to read.
The first story, Brady Brady Gumface, was a football story. While the story wasn’t published, it paved the way and established the Brady Brady series of today. The story caught the eye of David Chilton — author of the best-selling book The Wealthy Barber. Chilton was instrumental in pairing illustrator Chuck Temple with Mary Shaw.
Together, Shaw and Temple developed an illustrated version of Gumface and the draft gained the attention of a major publishing company. Signing Shaw and Temple to a four-book deal, featuring the lovable Brady Brady characters from Gumface, the publisher encouraged Shaw to write stories that would appeal to Canada’s hockey-loving families. It was a natural fit considering her close association to the sport — her husband Brad Shaw is a former NHL player! It didn’t take Shaw long to come up with the first two stories: Brady Brady and the Great Rink and Brady Brady and the Runaway Goalie.
Numerous books and many industry changes later, Brady Brady remains a favorite in the children’s book world. It remains a wonderful way to deliver important life lessons and the joy of reading through the love of sports.
Author Mary Shaw knows a thing or two about hockey -her husband is former professional player, now turned coach, Brad Shaw. Mary is a Waterloo, Ontario native but spends summers at her cottage outside of Ottawa. Because of hockey, Mary and her family have lived in Italy, Hartford, Ottawa, Detroit, Tampa, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Columbus, and currently, Vancouver. Mary is a mother of three - Taylore, Brady and Caroline. She credits them - and their sporting adventures, for swaying her into writing children’s books. Her son, Brady, an avid hockey player, is the inspiration for BRADY BRADY. Her oldest, Taylore, is the inspiration for ‘Tes’ in the ‘Twirling Torpedo’. In addition to writing, Mary is an active volunteer in the animal rescue community.
Illustrator Chuck Temple began his career at the age of 18 when his first comic strip, “Bernie on the Beat,” went into syndication. At the time he was one of the youngest syndicated cartoonists in the world with his work appearing in daily newspapers in Canada and the United States. Chuck has a degree in fine art from The University of Guelph, his teaching qualifications from The University of Western Ontario and has completed four years of study at the Ontario College of Art and Design. Temple’s professional life has included teaching high school communication technology courses as well as managing the demands of a busy freelance illustration/graphic design and marketing career. He lives with his wife, Laura, and continues to adapt his creative skills to align with the new technologies.
