What Books and Documentaries Can Teach Us About One of Nature’s Most Admired Creatures

Kio walks through the open grassland, trying to keep pace with a moving group of lions. (photo credit: National Geographic/Simon Blakeney)

A lion advances slowly, barely noticeable in the tall grass of Africa. All of a sudden, the lion bolts, running 50 miles per hour towards its prey. These kings of the jungle are among the most fascinating and intriguing creatures on the planet. Their elegance and power inspired both Lauren Tarshis, author of the New York Times bestselling I Survived series, and National Geographic to share lion stories with the rest of the world. 

I Survived The Night of the Lions, 2025 by Lauren Tarshis hits shelves September 2026.

Telling the Lion’s Story 

I Survived the Night of the Lions, 2025 by Lauren Tarshis is a wilderness survival story following 11-year-old protagonist Dylan in Botswana, Africa. When the book begins, Dylan thinks he is accompanying his sister for an unforgettable week in the Okavango Delta, documenting lions for her YouTube channel. But after their plane crashes, Dylan is left to survive the night surrounded by African wildlife, including predatory lions. 

Tarshis explained that the story was inspired by her readers, who requested more stories about animals after she published her novel on grizzly bear attacks. For Tarshis, lions are the “Titanic of animals,” and their survival can teach kids about conservation, wildlife, and the work of scientists. 

Lion is a gripping four-part National Geographic series that follows real-life lion cub Kio as he fights to survive in the wild. Filmed over nearly 1,400 days, the series gives viewers a glimpse into the life of a lion, where each day brings new challenges and dangers. Executive produced by The Lion King director Jon Favreau and BBC Studios’ Mike Gunton, this series goes beyond traditional wildlife programming to deliver a drama rooted in documentary truth. 

Faith Musembi stands in the back of the film vehicle, swinging the jib of the GSS camera as the crew captures Summer's Pride in action in the foreground. (photo credit: National Geographic/Abigail Brown)

Building Empathy Through Understanding 

For each story in the I Survived series, Tarshis does extensive research, and this novel is no exception. To learn more about lions, she visited Botswana, where she had the opportunity to get so close to lions that she could “see each individual eyelash.” After seeing the lions up close, she said, “I can understand why throughout history, lions have been so admired; they have incredible dignity, beauty, grace, and power.” 

Favreau and Gunton said that with their series, they sought to immerse viewers in the realities of Mother Nature and to help viewers develop empathy for the physical and emotional struggles of lions. 

“[We wanted] to tell a story that’s moving, unifying, sometimes upsetting but ultimately hopefully inspiring and then to show people, especially the younger generation, that there is something wonderful in the natural world that is worth preserving and worth exploring and understanding,” Favreau said. 

Similarly, Tarshis shared, “The more you know about something, the more you’ll want to learn about that topic. Bringing these animals to life for kids and helping them emotionally connect with them builds empathy for these lions.” 

Learning Through Storytelling 

Garnering readers’ interest in conservation efforts was one of Tarshis’s biggest goals in writing this book, and it’s why Dylan’s sister, Maya, has a YouTube channel where she posts videos about scientists protecting animals in the wild. 

Discussing the importance of young people advancing animal conservation, Tarshis said, “I really hope kids will be inspired to want to learn more about our wildlife, the creatures that live there, and what humans need to do to ensure these places remain wild and the creatures there can thrive.” 

While books and documentaries are forms of entertainment, they are also educational. The executive producers of Lion hope viewers are inspired to take their learning even further after watching the series. 

“The goal is to entertain people but also to inspire people to immerse themselves and be fascinated by, and want to learn more about, nature and the animals that live in it,” Gunton said. “I think this show absolutely does that. It’s so relatable. You see us in them and them in us, so it’s a story that speaks to your own relationships with your own family. But also it puts you smack in the middle of an incredible part of Mother Nature, and I think you cannot help but be inspired and think the natural world is an extraordinary place.” 

Scholastic Kid Reporter Sara Adibi interviewed Lion producers Jon Favreau and Mike Gunton.

For kids looking to tell their own stories, Favreau shared this advice: 

“The best tool is a typewriter or a pen and pad to start to tell stories … there’s no way to get good at something other than doing it … The more you do it, the better you get. That’s the throughline I see from people who are successful. It’s that they keep doing it, and they don’t give up,” Favreau said. 

Stories like Dylan’s adventures in Botswana and Kio’s life in the wild give us a deeper appreciation for nature and remind us how important it is to protect these wild animals and the places they call home. 

Lion premiered on National Geographic and is now available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu. I Survived the Night of the Lions, 2025, will hit shelves September 2026.