Where Did the Energy Go? Our New Book with an Automotive Battery Industry Leader

We are excited to announce one of the most meaningful partnerships in The Curious Crew’s history: a collaboration with a global leader in the automotive battery sector to create a themed children’s book about energy, batteries, and sustainability.

The book, “The Curious Crew Explores: Where Did the Energy Go?”, follows siblings Sofia and Viktor as they discover what energy really is, why batteries matter, and how responsible energy use benefits everyone. It is a story built on real science, brought to life through adventure and imagination.

Why This Partnership Matters

When one of the world’s largest producers of low-voltage automotive batteries approached us with the idea of making battery technology accessible to young readers, we knew immediately it was the right fit. This is a company whose batteries are found in one in three vehicles on the road today, with around 18,000 employees across more than 100 countries and a track record of innovation spanning over a century.

Their commitment goes far beyond manufacturing. They operate one of the world’s most successful circular economies, recycling 8,000 used batteries every hour across their network, with 76% of the lead and 54% of the plastic in their batteries coming from recycled or remanufactured content. That ethos of sustainability runs through every page of our book.

The Story: An Adventure Inside a Battery

The book opens with Sofia and Viktor playing outside on a sunny day, jumping, laughing, buzzing with the kind of energy only children seem to have. When their neighbour’s car won’t start, they learn that the battery is flat, and Viktor asks a deceptively simple question: “Where did all the energy go?”

What follows is a miniaturised adventure inside the battery itself. Sofia, Viktor, and their dog Mr. Tie shrink down to discover a world of golden energy messengers, once busy rushing through tunnels delivering power to headlights, radios, and engines. Now the tunnels are dark and the messengers sit idle, their parcels empty.

The children learn that the battery is not broken, just empty. And that electrical energy must come from an external source. They travel to a neighbouring truck battery, where the contrast is striking: a bright, vibrant world of energy in motion. With this understanding, they return to help their neighbour jump-start her car.

Real Technology, Real Impact

One of the most rewarding aspects of this collaboration is how naturally real-world battery innovation translates into storytelling. In the book, the character Mr. Amper is a truck driver who once had to leave his engine running all night to stay warm in his cab. Now, his battery has a sensor that monitors the charge level and alerts him when to act.

This is not fiction. The technology that inspired Mr. Amper’s story already exists in the real world. In recent years, the automotive battery industry has made significant strides in connected energy management. Real-time battery monitoring solutions now use sensors to track voltage, current, and temperature, feeding data through advanced algorithms that predict the state of charge. Drivers receive alerts telling them exactly when to start or stop their engines, reducing unnecessary idling and saving thousands in fuel per vehicle per year. Such systems have already been successfully piloted with European fleet operators.

For us, this is a perfect example of what “Curious Crew storytelling” is about: taking complex, real technology and making it tangible, exciting, and understandable. When children read about Mr. Amper’s truck, they are encountering genuine innovation wrapped in narrative.

A Book That Closes the Loop

The story also touches on what happens when a battery reaches the end of its life. Mrs. Spark explains to the children that almost everything inside a used battery can be sorted, recovered, and turned into a brand-new battery. “They don’t die,” Viktor realises, “they just start again.”

This circular economy message is central to both the book’s narrative and our partner’s operations. Their recycling infrastructure demonstrates that batteries are not disposable products but links in a continuous chain of reuse. It is a message of responsibility and optimism that resonates with readers of every age.

European School Pilots and Distribution

This partnership extends beyond the pages of the book. Together with our industry partner, we are collaborating at the European institutional level to bring “Where Did the Energy Go?” into school environments across the continent.

This effort builds on growing momentum across Europe to connect industry expertise with classroom practice. Programmes like the Scientix STEM Alliance, coordinated by European Schoolnet, have been bringing battery and automotive companies into STEM education to develop innovative teaching methods and professional development for educators across the continent. Our own school pilots aim to tap into this European infrastructure, integrating the book into primary school STEM curricula alongside classroom discussion guides and hands-on activities about energy and sustainability.

The pilots aim to engage educational institutions in several EU member states, with the goal of refining the accompanying teaching materials based on real classroom feedback before wider rollout. Industry experts, including specialists from training academies and young talent programmes in the battery sector, are directly contributing knowledge and expertise to these educational resources.

Available in Schools and Directly for Families

While the aim is to place the book in schools as part of these European pilot programmes, it will also be available for purchase worldwide directly by families, educators, and anyone who believes that science literacy starts with great stories.

We believe that the best children’s books work on two levels: they captivate young readers with adventure and character, while giving adults a framework for deeper conversation. “Where Did the Energy Go?” is no exception. Whether you are a parent explaining why the car battery went flat, a teacher exploring new approaches to STEM in the classroom, or simply someone who enjoys well-crafted science storytelling, this book offers something for you.

What Comes Next

This collaboration marks the beginning of a longer journey. Energy is a theme with endless avenues for exploration, and batteries are just the starting point. We are already in conversations about follow-up materials, classroom activity packs, and further stories that build on the scientific foundations laid in this first volume. If you want to understand why early curiosity is the answer to Europe’s growing STEM skills gap, this book is a concrete step in that direction.

We are grateful to our partners for trusting us with their expertise and for sharing our conviction that the best way to inspire the next generation of engineers, scientists, and environmentally conscious citizens is to start with a story.

Energy never really goes away. It just keeps moving. And it is even better when you share it.