WINNER! WINNER! Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces by Carlos Sánchez is the winner of the 2025 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Younger Readers category! This is the first time in the award’s history that a graphic novel has been named winner in any of the categories. We are thrilled and honoured to have received this incredible accolade from Waterstones.
Thank you to the judges for not only recognising Rune, but also the graphic novel genre. We hope to see many more graphic novels on the winners list in the years to come!
Huge congratulations to Rune creator Carlos Sánchez, who is a creative mastermind and a gentleman. We are so proud to have worked alongside Carlos to bring his vision to life! Congratulations to our team who worked to perfect Rune into the design and storytelling masterpiece that it is! (Biased? Us?)
We would also like to congratulate the overall winner, Mikey Please, Older Readers category winner, Nathanael Lessore, as well as all the brilliant creators on the shortlist. What a fantastic WCBP cohort to be part of!
Lucy Jakes, Children’s Buyer, Waterstones, says: “Rune encapsulates everything that is fresh and exciting about the current graphic novel market. The art is beyond aesthetically pleasing, with every image worthy of being framed on a wall, and each immersive spread oozes imagination and creativity and tells a fantastic adventure story that is universally loved by children. The characters are brilliantly drawn (literally and figuratively), the worldbuilding exquisite, and the magic system based on sign language is seamlessly inclusive. Fans of Hilda and Adventure Time will find a new home in the world of Puddin’ and new friends in Chiri, Dai, Sophie, and Oko.”
Ellie, from Waterstones Worthing, loves Rune’s “brilliant fantasy world, fun characters, effortless and well-done inclusivity, and incredible illustrations!”, meanwhile Ella-Mae, from Waterstones Lewes, admires the “incredible depth of worldbuilding” and the use of “sign language as a powerful skill” and Hannah, from Waterstones Aviemore, says “I absolutely want to read more!”
Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces
by Carlos Sánchez
Venture deep into the forests of Puddin’, a land lost in time and darkness. Filled with dark magic, druids, and dragons Rune: The Tale of a Thousand Faces is the first instalment of this spellbinding new comic series.
Best friends Chiri and Dai stumble into a forgotten realm, tormented by the evil Shadow King who yearns to spread terror and unleash wild magic on everyone. But will these best friends, with the help of the druids, warriors, and magical goats they encounter be able to find their way home? And more importantly, can they evade the darkness that was awoken on their arrival and seal the pathway between worlds before it is too late?
