Sarah and the Big Wave: The True Story of the First Woman to Surf Mavericks

by Bonnie Tsui, Sophie Diao (Illustrator)

Have you ever seen a big wave? One that's twenty, thirty, forty, even fifty feet tall? Here's a better question: Would you ever surf a big wave? Sarah Gerhardt did--and this is her story.



This tale of perseverance and indomitable spirit is about the first woman to ride the waves at Mavericks, one of the biggest and most dangerous surf breaks in the world.

Genres: Picture Books, Biography, Nonfiction, Sports, Childrens, History, Biography Memoir

34 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2021

About the author

Bonnie Tsui is a longtime contributor to The New York Times and the bestselling author of Why We Swim, a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice and a Time magazine and NPR Best Book of the Year; it has been translated into ten languages and was a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist in Science. Bonnie is also the author of American Chinatown, which won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, and Sarah and the Big Wave, a children’s book about the first woman to surf Mavericks and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. She is a consultant for the Hulu television series Interior Chinatown. Her new book, On Muscle, will be published in April 2025. Her work has been recognized and supported by Harvard University, the National Press Foundation, the Mesa Refuge, and the Best American Essays series. She lives, swims, and surfs in the Bay Area. 

Reviews

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah and the Big Wave: The True Story of the First Woman to Surf Mavericks is a children's picture book by Bonnie Tsui and illustrated by Sophie Diao. It centers on Sarah Gerhardt, who is not afraid of heights or speed and the first woman to surf mavericks.

Sarah Gerhardt is best known for becoming the first woman to surf Mavericks and is not only a pioneer in a male-dominated sport, but she has created a legacy in the world of big wave surfing.

Tsui's text is rather simplistic, straightforward, and informative. Tsui's present-tense text effectively conveys Sarah's determination as well as the excitement of the sport, occasionally ranging to provide needed context, such as the atmospheric conditions that make big waves. Backmatter includes a timeline. Diao's illustrations are extraordinary. Emphasizing the breathtaking landscapes, they treat readers to mostly double-page spreads that allow them to feel like they are in the middle of the ocean with Sarah.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. Sarah Gerhardt began surfing at a young age in Hawaii and quickly learned that she loved surfing big waves most of all – waves as high as 50 feet tall. She learned how to calmly hold her breath when she fell and to be patient finding surfing companions at a time when surfing was a male-dominated sport. Like many girls and women across sports, she had to wear gear and use equipment designed for boys and men. When she moved to California as an adult, she was determined to conquer the Mavericks surf break, and in 1999, she became the first woman to do so, demonstrating that victories can happen every day, not just at major competitions.

All in all, Sarah and the Big Wave: The True Story of the First Woman to Surf Mavericks is a sunny surf outing from start to end.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An empowering story about Sarah Gerhardt, who overcame great odds, excelling in a sport breaking ground for the women who would follow her to become world famous surfers.

[Amy Buckle / Amy's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually: The Uncertain Sea

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool picture book bio of the first woman to surf Mavericks off the coast of CA.

[Rainbow Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah and the Big Wave by Bonnie Tsui is a wonderful picture book biography that tells the story of Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf Mavericks.

Young readers will learn about Sarah’s journey to become a pioneer for women in surfing, including her challenges, such as finding gear in the right sizes and finding a welcoming group of friends to share her passion with. Sarah and the Big Wave shares a wonderful lesson of following your passions and persevering through challenges. And of course, this is a great pick for young surfing enthusiasts.

I really love the illustrations by Sophie Diao! The way she captured both the beauty and movement of the ocean was really stunning.


The back matter also contains a wonderful timeline of the history of women in surfing from the 1600’s to 2020, making it a great resource for educators.

Bonnie Tsui is an author and journalist who lives, swims, and surfs in the Bay Area. To learn more about her and her work, please visit her website at bonnietsui.com.

Sophie Diao is an artist and illustrator based in San Francisco, California. Please visit her website at sophiediao.com to learn more about her and her work.

I also want to thank Henry Holt Books For Young Readers for proving me with a review copy of Sarah and the Big Wave. I loved learning about Sarah, and I’m so glad to share her story with you all.

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[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.
Solid biography of the first woman to surf Mavericks. A very interesting timeline of women’s surf history is included. Who knew that the oldest known surfboard was discovered in a Hawaiian princesses grave and that another Hawaiian princess introduced surfing to Europe, surfing a Brighton beach while studying abroad. Decent colorful illustrations which have a bit of that computer generated quality but manage to maintain some charm. Good and vivid descriptions about what it feels like to surf and what the waves are like. What was missing were more specifics about Sarah’s life or personality and a slightly deeper explanation of the opposition she faced beyond ‘people told her girls aren’t supposed to be in the water.’ She surfed her wave in 1999 and while I believe she faced discrimination it is not like she lived during the 1800’s. Pretty sure women were entering the water in Hawaii in the 70’s.

[Amy Pickett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah Gerhardt grew up surfing little, medium, and – her favorite – big waves on Oahu’s North Shore, which is famous for its huge waves, some of which top the height of a five-story building! She later moved to California, where her new home was near Mavericks, the famous big-wave surf break. With its monster waves, “Mount Everest meets Niagara Falls” is a dangerous place to surf, and no woman had ever done it … until Sarah! Illustrator Sophie Diao captures Sarah’s history-making ride, and its epic scale, in a made-for-storytime lift-up page. A timeline of milestones in the history of women and surfing complete this SWELL ;) picture book biography.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah had been waiting all her life for this wave.

Before today no woman has yet surfed Mavericks.

Today is the day.

(Great fold out page to show the height of the wave.)

[Erin Buhr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is stunning. The brilliant blues of the ocean pour across the spreads and capture the enormous waves. This is a true story about the first woman to surf Mavericks, the giant waves at a particular beach in Northern California. Told with excellent pacing and still capturing her inspiring story as one of the first female surfers, this is an excellent read aloud.

[Kelly]

This is not a very well done book. The illustrations are very bland/repetitive as there is lots of water in this book. The story is not very interesting. With a story like this, I'm not surprised it turned out to not be good because it's a very small/unknown accomplishment.

[Spinster · Rating 2 out of 5]

So...I guess this is dumb, but since I don't surf I had no idea how big the waves truly are. Learning about that was genuinely cool.

There's not much to this book, though.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Sarah and the Big Wave: The True Story of the First Woman to Surf Mavericks, written by Bonnie Tsui and illustrated by Sophie Diao, an exhilarating look at the life of big wave surfer Sarah Gerhardt.

Two thousand miles and one week apart, a wave and a surfer both begin to move toward each other on a path of destiny. For the surfer – simply called Sarah – it feels like the wave she’s waited for all her life, ever since she was a very young girl learning to surf in California and Hawaii. Honing her skills, perfecting her timing, and learning how to handle her falls and hold her breath, Sarah finds that she has a passion for surfing “big waves” – swells that often crest at heights of fifty feet or more, and the most dangerous ones to surf. In addition to the challenges these big waves present, Sarah also has to fight the usual battles of a woman participating in a sport largely dominated by men: being forced to use ill-fitted equipment, dealing with prejudice, and being ostracized. Still, Sarah refuses to be held back, by man or by nature – after all, she was always destined to conquer the big waves.

Wonderful. This atmospheric and exciting tale sweeps readers along at a brisk pace, giving just enough backstory and context to leave readers feeling informed but never bogged-down. The tone is a perfect balance – relaxed at times, pulse-pounding at others – making the reader feel as though they are right out on the ocean with Sarah as she navigates the real and metaphoric waves of her sport. The artwork is sublime, creating beautiful sunlit seascapes and expressive characters, and even a few visual gimmicks that work surprisingly well, such as a size comparison between a big wave and an apartment building, or a fold-out page to illustrate the scale of Gerhardht conquering a wave at the famed Mavericks. The length is perfect for a storytime, and JJ adored the illustrations. This is a wonderfully inspiring story sure to excite young bookworms, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Sunday · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for reading aloud in k-3 or recommending to students for independent/partner reading and student-led conversations on themes like perseverance, tenacity, courage, women breaking gender barriers.

Diao's bold and beautiful illustrations capture how remarkable the ocean and its waves are as well as the magnitude of the waves.

LOVE the timeline at the end that reveals how women have ALWAYS been a part of surfing dating back to the "oldest known surfboard" belonging to the Hawaiian princess Kaneamuna back in the 1600s and another Hawaiian princess introducing surfing to Europeans in the 1890s.

WISH Tsui and Diao had shared some of their research and choices in an author's note - just for accuracy and authority purposes.

I found video of Dr. Sarah Gerhardt on the internet - surfing some amazing waves. Think students would love to see this - might help students who have not been to the ocean or are not familiar with how waves work.

PAIR THIS TEXT WITH -
If you are studying waves, earth's motions, etc. with students, look for GIDGET THE SURFING DOG by Rusch. Rusch includes more technical details on the art of surfing as it relates to waves and so forth while telling the true story of Gidget.

If you are studying women overcoming obstacles in water sports, look for YUSRA SWIMS by Abery and TRUDY'S BIG SWIM by Sue Macy.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! The text flowed like a wave, moving the reader forward like a wave carrying a surfer to the shore. And the illustrations, provided the beauty of a day spent on the beach. I loved how every illustration of Sarah Gerhardt shows her body as strong and solid - even when being tossed about by a wave. There is an informational timeline about milestones in the history of women and surfing. It is disappointing but not surprising to learn that it was Western missionaries who discouraged women in Hawaii from surfing. Prior to their arrival it was an activity engaged in by Hawaiian princesses. Even sadder is the fact that female surfers were not recognized until the mid-nineties and Sarah's story actually takes pace in 1999. Encouraging is that the international surfing authorities equalized prize money for men and women beginning with the 2019 season and in 2020 the world record for biggest wave surfed was held by a woman. As a biography of Sarah Gerhardt this book may be lacking but as a depiction of surfing, it earns the 5 stars.

[Erin Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah and the Big Wave by Bonnie Tsui and illustrated by Sophie Diao is the true story of Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf Mavericks, one of the most difficult big wave surfing sites in the world. It follows young Sarah as one of the only girls learning to surf in Hawaii. She fought through a male-dominated surfing world to become one of the world’s best big-wave surfers and the first female to surf Mavericks. It also explains how waves form out in the ocean and then travel to the shore. The end of the story has a detailed timeline of the history of women in surfing.

Based on reading level, I would recommend this for grades K-3. By third grade it could work for independent reading. This is a tale of perseverance so it would be a great companion for a lesson on goal setting. Students learn how to form a goal and then list a plan of steps to reach the goal by using Sarah’s story as a guide. It could be a companion to a science unit on oceans and water patterns because it has a nice section on how waves form.

[Kiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool story of Sara Gerhardt, the first woman to surf the massive waves at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, California. I'm glad to see woman telling women's stories and celebrating the journey of pursuing one's passion, even when it means blazing a trail and growing beyond the comfort zone. There is a nice timeline at the end of the book that highlights key events in the history of women and surfing.

I like how the storytelling of this illustrated children's book makes the details of surfing accessible for young readers. For example, Sophie Diao's illustration juxtaposes a wave on the North Shore of Oahu to a five story building to compare the water's incredible height. Bonnie Tsui's writing flows with action and description to communicate the process and experience of surfing. My favorite aspect of the book is the way the page folds up and out to portray the way Sara caught her wave at Mavericks!

[Rayne Cam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Picture book biography with a women's surfing timeline in that back. A 3.5 star rating would have been more in line with my thoughts. It was a good picture book for audiences who tend to be more interested in real stories instead of fiction. Parts may be upsetting for young audience (one sentence mention surfers who have "lost their lives" and describing being stuck under the water for big waves). One page made surfing appear a little too gendered. When Sarah talks about surfing she says "The boys didn't want to hang out with her. The girls didn't want to go surf." It accidentally set up the shes-not-like-other-girls vibe and I felt other parts of the book sufficiently addressed the gender disparity without the inclusion of this sentence.

[Rick Hribko · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cool biography on Sara Gerhardt who was the first woman to surf the Mavericks. While it starts off as a woman in a traditionally male sport, it turns into a story of triumph and a history lesson on women in surfing. I kind of wished the author developed the storyline of all the female surfers to provide the multicultural history that is provided in the timeline at the end. Maybe there is more to come? Illustrations were beautiful capturing the expanse of the ocean by using small print as well.

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 Stars I really wanted to love this book, and it was great and interesting and go Sarah go, it wasn't enough for me to go to 4 stars or beyond

I still think it is a great book, and should be read. I learned about a sport and a person I had never heard before.

I think what bothered me was at the end, it ended so abruptly! I also would have liked to see a real picture of Sarah and her surf board. But again! Still a great story and worth reading!

[Elena L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring true story of the first woman to surf Mavericks, filled with vibrant illustrations and captivating dialogues, I would recommend this book to everyone. ( I appreciated that both author and illustrator are BIPOC. )

[ I received a complimentary copy from the publisher - Mackidsbooks - in exchange for an honest review ]

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Talks about the issues being one of the first female surfers (boards were the wrong size, clothing didn't fit).

We get a little bit about wave formation and where the big waves come from.

Like the fold out of the big wave that she rode. (Thank you for not making this a "turn the book" fold out)

[Megan Conroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This brilliantly illustrated book serves to provide a true story of the first women's surfer to cross Mavericks. This story shows the hardships Sarah went through as there was no other women like her in many of the areas she surfed. This story is about bravery, and perseverance as she lives out her dream in the ocean.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short but inspiring picture book about the first woman to surf mavericks. Lovely illustrations. Read this with my daughter, who found the best part to be the timeline at the back which said the oldest surfboard was discovered to have belonged to a Hawaiaan Princess more than 400 years ago.

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that this is a true story about Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf the mavericks. The illustrations are bright and attracting. It is a very empowering book for young girls to read, letting them know that they can do anything!

[Aolund · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid picture book biography of Sarah Gerhardt. A little unimaginative, but a solid, concise telling.

Themes: Surfing, Ocean, Women's Histroy, Record breaker
Age range: Kindergarten - early elementary

[Bethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look at the first woman to surf the big waves at Mavericks, on the California coast in 1999. I can’t believe it took that long for a woman to do that. Fascinating timeline of women in surfing in the back. Great illustrations really draw the reader right into the water!

[Kim Redington · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING story about Sarah Gerhardt, the first woman to surf the Mavericks. When she was told she couldn't do what the boys did, she persevered and did what she felt she wanted to do. She found a group of like-minded people and kept going. Beautiful illustrations and captivating story!

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I especially liked the Milestones at the end of the book which shared how early Hawaiian princesses were surfing!

I was inspired to read this book after reading WHY WE SWIM by Bonnie Tsui, which I really enjoyed.

[Jill Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy Non Fiction Picturebook. PreK to 3 grade. Sarah Gerhardt.was the first woman to surf the huge waves at the Mavericks in California. Nice illustrations and factual information presented well. An historical timeline of women surfers was presented at the end.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adding this one to my biography read alouds. Not too much text which sometimes weighs down a read aloud. Liked illustrations- will appeal to kids.