Amber Hatch

I live in Oxford, England. When I’m not writing I go swimming in the river. I write other types of books too; some are about parenting and wellbeing. I discovered audio – and Yoto – when my youngest got one for her birthday. I love how children can learn to follow a more complex story, even if they are still beginning readers. When Yoto ran its inaugural Audio Maker Competition in 2023 I knew I had to enter a story. Coming joint second with the Great Fish Rescue was completely amazing!

The Great Fish Rescue: The Great Fish Rescue is inspired by a true story. One really hot summer, the ponds in my local park dried up and we found these flapping fish gasping for air. Like Zak and Sami, my children and I wanted to rescue them so we scooped them into buckets. We weren’t sure what to do with 50 fish but luckily a local garden centre offered to take them in their pond. I had the idea to turn it into a story for a long time, but I needed Yoto to give me that nudge.

Finding Fluffa: My seven-year-old loves cats and we recently got a new kitten called Squid. When I told my daughter I was going to write a story, of course, she requested it be about kittens. That’s what inspired me to write Finding Fluffa. It was very useful having Squid around to watch her silly antics! Her favourite thing is to hide in any bag she finds lying around and then leap out at your feet.

The Cheeky Frog series is aimed at kids 6+ but really, they are for anyone who loves listening to stories about animals in trouble. We live in a complex world which children have to learn to navigate, and I’ve tried to reflect this in my stories, gently exploring social concerns. I hope kids come away with the message that even if things are tricky, then kindness always wins out. But most of all I hope they enjoy them. Hearing feedback from children who’ve liked my stories is the best thing ever.

Creating these audiobooks for Yoto has been brilliant. It’s been a steep learning curve – but a very rewarding one! It’s wonderful writing books, knowing that they are going to be out there and listened to by kids around the world. I’ve really enjoyed working with the Yoto team who have encouraged me to get the cards as good as possible. The world of children’s publishing is changing rapidly and Yoto is at the forefront of that – how exciting that I’m part of that adventure!

I’m currently working on a fun interactive story about a robot causing mischief and mayhem in 'Robotronix Pandemonix'. I also plan to release further titles in the Cheeky Frog series next year. I’ll be launching my podcast soon too. If you have an idea for a story you’d love to see written – tell me about it! Find me on socials or head over to amberhatch.com.