The Big Five Save the Lions!

From David Isaacman of the docuseries Love on the Spectrum comes a new beginner novel with 25 full-color illustrations about friendship, bravery, and caring for animals.

Ten-year-old David, his sister Alison, and their group of friends are spending a familiar day at the beach when a group of sea lions offshore begin to fall ill. It's not just them. Seems all the animals at the San Diego Zoo next door - including David's beloved lions - are getting sick, too!

While David and Alison's brainy sister Aubrey and their scientist uncle Ned try to figure out what could be causing all this sickness, David and his friends accidentally stumble into the answer themselves after finding a magical backpack at the zoo gift shop. Before they know it, the group falls through the backpack and is propelled through a portal to Kenya where they are transformed into a superhero group--the Big Five--that must use their bond, their will, and their neurodiversity to stop a supervillain eager to rid the world of its animal population. Will the Big Five be able to stop him before it's too late?!

Jam-packed with action, adventure, humor, and heart, The Big Five Saves the Lions is a standalone novel for newly independent readers. It includes 25 full-color illustrations from artist Bats Langley.

"Langley's copious, colorful, semirealistic art and fast, suspenseful pacing help pages speed by, while serif type supports reading. The kids' autism is sensitively handled by the author (who is also autistic), whether it's the discomfort of people staring at them, a tendency to info-dump, or sensory overload, and their neurodivergence is often their greatest strength. These young people draw on both their tightknit bonds and the techniques they use to navigate the world; readers will be eager for more. In the artwork, characters are generally pale- or tan-skinned. An absorbing testament to the power of thinking differently." --Kirkus Reviews

"Though the narration and dialogue are at times stilted, saturated, cartoony drawings amp up the excitement of this heartening eco-adventure. An author's note concludes." --Publishers Weekly

"So author David Isaacman is probably best known to many as being the fellow behind the Emmy Award-winning series Love on the Spectrum. In this book a group of five kids discover a backpack that gives them secret powers. Using their bond and their neurodiversity they must take down a supervillain trying to get rid of all the animals in the world. Honestly, the way that billionaires are going these day, that plot's not so far fetched." --School Library Journal Blog

"Love on the Spectrum participant Isaacman joins forces with Bensur and Langley to craft a portal fantasy about tweens rescuing animals from an unknown ailment. Fall 2026 Children's Preview: Middle Grade." --Publishers Weekly

"The members of the group are each on the autism spectrum and use their neurodiversity as superpowers. Veteran illustrator Langley brings David and his friends' beautiful world to life. Main characters are cued white, with diversity of skin tone in background characters as depicted in the artwork. VERDICT: A fresh take on how neurodiversity can be a superpower, this book will appeal to a wide range of readers." --School Library Journal

Author: Bobbie Bensur,David Isaacman
Publisher: Paw Prints Publishing
Published: 09/15/2026
Pages: 128
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.61lbs
Size: 7.54h x 5.34w x 0.53d
ISBN: 9781223189512
Audience: Ages 9-12


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/25/2026
Kirkus Reviews 06/15/2026
School Library Journal 08/01/2026 pg. 86

About the Author

David's journey navigating autism began when he was diagnosed at 3 years old. He is part of a set of triplets and when he wasn't speaking like his two sisters were, his parents brought him in for an evaluation. They were advised to assess him for autism. At 4 he was enrolled in the Lovaas program at UCLA and had many years of speech and occupational therapy. David has become the man that he is today through many years of receiving these services and lots of hard work. He graduated high school in 2014 and went on to get employed with Beverly Hills City Hall's HR department where he is celebrating his 6th work anniversary. After work, he enjoys being a member of the award winning Miracle Project where he loves to sing and perform. His first appearance on Netflix was in the show Atypical and later in the Emmy award winning series Love on the Spectrum U.S., which is where he met his beautiful girlfriend Abbey. He also enjoys being an influencer, in which he loves sharing with his followers snippets of his everyday life and his passions which include: his synesthesia (seeing numbers as colors), his passion for wildlife (especially the African animals), and more.

Bobbie Bensur is an author and longtime publishing professional who has spent nearly two decades helping books find their way into the hands of readers. She is the co-founder of Paw Prints Publishing, now an imprint of Dover Publications, and has worked across editorial and sales throughout her career. Bobbie writes heartfelt, character-driven stories and is particularly drawn to beginner chapter books that empower kids to see themselves--and others--with compassion. She lives in Maine, where she is often dreaming up new stories, visiting libraries, or reading alongside her husband and their daughter.

Bats Langley is a painter, sculptor, writer, illustrator, toy designer, and a creator of many things. Bats is known for illustrating Groggle's Monster Valentine and Groggle's Monster Halloween. He recently illustrated the nonfiction biography of Jackie Kennedy titled Jackie and the Books She Loved. Bats is a regular contributor to Spider, Ladybug, Cricket, and Scholastic magazines and has been a frequently featured cover artist.
His artwork has been shown in galleries in New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, Hartford, Providence, and Hangzhou China. He lives with his husband Nick behind the Chelsea Hotel in New York City.