Description: Young Maya always hears of everyone in her fishing village being scared of "The Beast," the giant wave that crashes into the shoreline every day, and after seeing boys surfing it she is determined to surf it herself, showing everyone the beauty it has to offer.
Brief description: Maya Gabeira is a Brazilian big-wave surfer best known for setting the 2018 Guinness World Record for biggest wave ever surfed by a woman and then breaking her own record in 2020 with a wave of 73.5 feet, the biggest surfed by anyone--male or female--that year. As an ESPY Award winner and seven-time Red Bull World Surf League Big Wave Awards winner, Gabeira is one of the most influential surfers of all time. She is also passionately committed to and a fierce advocate for restoring the world's oceans. She lives in Nazaré, Portugal.
Review Quotes: "Both text and illustrations offer a stirring account of Maya's journey to surfing mastery. . .A rallying cry for anyone looking for a strong example of perseverance."--Kirkus Reviews