- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–11
- Fantasy
Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces
Book 1 of 2 in RuneView the full series
A cosy, pastel-toned fantasy graphic novel with magic, food, friendship and unusually thoughtful Deaf representation. It is a lovely bridge between gentle visual storytelling and more adventurous fantasy quests.
- Best for8–11
- FormatGraphic
- Length144 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr10 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Warm
- Funny
- Adventurous
- Whimsical
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Best friends Chiri and Dai live a dreary but safe life in Little Valley until they stumble through a magical portal and land in the strange kingdom of Puddin'. There, they discover a world of wild magic, new friends, dangerous enemies and a monster known as the Shadow King, who wants to release chaos everywhere. Chiri has wild magic inside her too, and the journey asks whether she and Dai can trust the support of their found family when danger closes in. This is a visually warm, highly accessible graphic novel with a washed-out pastel palette, rounded character design and a pleasing balance of softness and action. Chiri is Deaf, and the story thoughtfully incorporates sign language, lip-reading and communication into both characterisation and the magical system. The result is a distinctive, charming fantasy adventure with real value.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 8–11
- Read aloud · 7–10
- Independent · 8–11
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Works well for
- Bedtime
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery.
Bedtime suitability
4 / 5 · Bedtime-friendly
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
3 / 5 · Some
Best for
- Cosy fantasy
- Graphic novel fantasy
- Deaf representation
- Friendship adventure
- Reluctant readers
Avoid if
- Wants high peril fantasy
- Prefers real world stories
- Needs prose chapter book
Particularly good for children who are…
- Reluctant reader
- Making friends
- Neurodiversity or learning differences
- Low self esteem
In the classroom
How it works in school.
A vibrant fantasy-adventure comic series — a reluctant-reader pick and classroom-library staple.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific delight is the portal and the sign language — Chiri and Dai falling through into Puddin', wild magic appearing inside Chiri, sign language and lip-reading woven through the magic system because Chiri is Deaf. The Sánchez graphic novel that does cosy fantasy with proper Deaf representation.
- Being understood finally
- Friendship and belonging
- Magic powers
- Making a difference
- Proving yourself
Why parents love it
The Carlos Sánchez Spanish-translation graphic novel — pastel palette and rounded design, Deaf representation thoughtfully built into characterisation and the magic itself. Distinctive, charming, real value. Strong fantasy bridge for younger middle-grade.
- Beautiful illustrations
- Cultural representation
- Conversation starter
- Indie gem discovery
In the series
Rune.
2 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Carlos Sánchez.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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