Sara Starling
Creator Profiles
A professional voice actor, I believe in magic. I've felt it all my life in kindness, stars, love, and the quiet, still voice inside. The world needs it, that's why I wrote The Bubbling Toad Stories.
Cards from this Creator
- The Bubbling Toad Stories Volume One
"It can feel like a dark and difficult world, and I wanted to offer light, magic and calm reassurance. "
Creator Q&A
Tell us about yourself
You've probably heard me somewhere before, I've been lending my voice to stories for years.
I fell in love with words and sound when I was little and I've been lucky enough to work with them for a lifetime. I began my career as a radio studio manager at the BBC. It's also where I met Leon, the man of the nest, my husband, and the sound designer for The Bubbling Toad Stories. In fact we met whilst making sound effects for Fungus the Bogeyman. It's amazing what you can do with a bicycle wheel and a hot water bottle filled with flour and water!
A few years later, I swapped over to the other side of the mic' and I've been there ever since. Today, I live with Leon and our gorgeously goofy dog Neville in a small town on the edge of the Peak District not far from Manchester, where I work from my own studio with clients all over the world.
Words, sound and stories are my life, my world - and I love sharing them with you.
What inspired you to make this title(s)?
Magic is real. These stories and the way they came to be, proves it.
Do you know how you sometimes look back and see how everything happened at just the right time? A dream and a message that led to a beautiful friendship. A new business that inspired a story, slipping in unbidden, whilst walking.
That's how it was with The Bubbling Toad Stories, some things are just meant to be.
It can feel like a dark and difficult world, and I wanted to offer light, magic and calm reassurance. These stories were created to gently empower listeners to navigate life, reconnect with themselves and with nature. Totally immersive, they're based on a place that actually exists.
I've been blown away by feedback. Listeners have compared the stories to The Wind in the Willows and Winnie the Pooh, telling me they provide "an emotional toolkit".
"Based on a place that actually exists, Vogrie Country Park and The Bubbling Toad in Scotland is somewhere screens are left behind and families can escape into the wild and wonderful world of nature and their imaginations."
Who do you imagine listening to your audio?
Whilst these stories enjoyed by children aged 6-9, I've had wonderful feedback from people aged 5 to 95! It seems that adults love them just as much as kids. Parents have told me that their children are "absolutely riveted", listening without interruption, then falling asleep peacefully.
"Mesmerising mindful magic, modern classics in the making."
Is there anything different about making audio for Yoto listeners?
I wanted to do things differently, and as a voice actor, it felt natural to create an audiobook first.
Based on a place that actually exists, Vogrie Country Park and The Bubbling Toad in Scotland is somewhere screens are left behind and families can escape into the wild and wonderful world of nature and their imaginations.
As a screen-free device, Yoto is the perfect partner - it's all about listening and forming pictures of your own.
What’s next?
The Bubbling Toad Stories Volume One features ten stories, but I've written far more than that, so keep an eye out for more tales to come!
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