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

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