The Bubbling Toad
Ah, you found me snuggled up in my nest, quill in hand!
Writing and recording a series of magical stories for children and adults alike.
What Are The Bubbling Toad Stories About?
The wood wide web hums gently. The Skittering Mouse somersaults through the park. A once-lost Mole finds new friends. And beneath the Mother tree, sits the magical Bubbling Toad, ready to help those who are worried, lonely and a little lost in life.
Picture a beautiful country park in Scotland, alive with wonderful wildlife. In the grounds is a house where potions are brewed, wands whittled and fairies dance. These stories are set in Vogrie Country Park, home of The Bubbling Toad.
Designed to be inclusive and immersive, Each tale is woven with a gentle magic, tackling tricky subjects like anxiety, loss, imposter syndrome and more. All with warmth, reassurance and the lightest of touches. If you’re aged six or one hundred and six, settle in and enjoy these soul-soothing stories.
How Did The Bubbling Toad Stories Begin?
Before you listen to the very first tale further down this page, I thought I’d tell you about the real origin of the of the Bubbling Toad, because that’s a magical story in itself, my friend. One I couldn’t make up. As real as the device you’re reading from, yet not of this earth. Seeds that fell into this little bird’s head from nowhere – or somewhere. Bottom line?
It Was Written in the Stars
That’s where The Bubbling Toad stories came from! Let me explain. Way back in 2016, I had a very unusual dream, a dream that could only have been sent by the moon and the stars. One that led directly to a wonderful friendship with the inimitable Gayanne Potter. It’s story in itself! Suffice to say, our bond, her creation of The Bubbling Toad in Vogrie Country Park, and my stories are all rooted in love and magic. It was, quite simply, meant to be.
There were tears of joy and delight. “What you don’t know is that I’d always imagined there’d be stories to accompany this!” I didn’t know that. Nor did I know that what I’d written was exactly the kind of thing Gayanne had imagined. Tales of wildlife and magic, woven with pearls of wisdom to help young minds navigate the world.
You see? Love and magic. All of it. I hope you’ll feel it too, as you listen to and read the stories, learn about the life of the park, the power of the potion room, and maybe a few things that’ll help you through the day to day.
Oh, and this is just the beginning, there are many more stories to come. I’m working on them and creating the audio books and story books right now. But in the meantime, and without further ado, this is the origin story of The Bubbling Toad, complete with beautiful sound design by the man of the nest, Leon Ford. Who’s reading it? Ah, a very familiar British female voice over – yep, this little bird!
Spin Forward to Christmas 2024 and the Creation of The Bubbling Toad Stories.
When Gayanne told me the name of her creation back in 2021, a gem of an idea born during lockdown, we talked of it daily. Magical experiences for children that morphed into a potion room, a lunar library, a fairy hollow and more. Ideas began to swoop into this little bird’s brain. In the liminal space between Christmas and New year 2024, I snuggled up with young Neville Longbottom the studio dog (still banned from the studio for theft!) and the words slipped from my quill.
The Bubbling Toad of Vogrie, How the Magic Began.
Written and voiced by your little bird, Sara Starling.
Immerse yourself in a magical world, knowing that this really is just the beginning, there are many more stories to come! I’ve had wonderful feedback from listeners aged six to ninety four! Oh, and do you know what’s brilliant about all this? You can actually visit The Bubbling Toad, whittle wands, whisk up potions and create beautiful wish jars! Hop over to www.thebubblingtoad.com to experience the magic for yourself! Yes, it’s real!
Listen Here For the Full experience!
Storytelling in the Wild…
What better place to record an excerpt than in the woods? Perhaps a Toad’s nestled beneath the leaves. Maybe a Skittering Mouse is about to perform a somersault, and is that a molehill I spy…?
Mesmerising mindful magic! These stories are masterfully written, told and produced – modern classics in the making!
Karen Webber
Copyright Sara Starling 2025. All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author. Any use of this publication to train generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text or create an artificial voice or artificial voice models of any kind, now or in the future, on any platforms or devices, known or not yet known, is expressly prohibited.