Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp
Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp (a Picture Book)
Contributor(s): Tonai, Minoru (Author) , Gutiérrez, Jolene (Author) , Sasaki, Chris (Illustrator)
Abrams for Young Readers: 2026 (Available April 7, 2026)
Hardcover: New
9781419772894
Children: 4-8 years old.
A powerful, emotional, and ultimately uplifting picture book about the real-life experience of a Japanese American boy incarcerated with his family during World War II.
Cowritten by Minoru (Min) Tonai, an advocate for Japanese American rights, Unbreakable is based on Tonai's harrowing real-life experiences. This moving picture book includes extensive back matter: information on the American incarceration camps and the campaign to release Tonai's father, a timeline, a bibliography, author and illustrator notes, and questions for further discussion perfect for caregivers and educators to further engage young readers.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, strength comes in the form of the small, smooth stone Min's father gives him before being led away by FBI agents. In his absence, Min and his family do their best to keep their produce business afloat and earn enough support to get Min's father released. But the FBI won't release his father, and soon, Min and his family are forced into an incarceration camp in Colorado.
Imprisoned on the dusty plains and facing both the pain of displacement and the injustice of being incarcerated by his own country, Min must learn to adapt and to find beauty--and strength--where most wouldn't.
Cowritten by Jolene Gutiérrez, author of Too Much! and Mamiachi & Me, and illustrated by acclaimed illustrator Chris Sasaki, this is an inspiring and powerful picture book. Share it with young readers who are asking questions about justice, belonging, and what it means to be American.
Lying in bed at night, Min thinks about things he's lost:
his family's home and business, Puppy, and most of all, Papa.
Min clutches his stone, hoping to see his father again.
Biographical Note:
Cowriter Jolene Gutiérrez is an award-winning teacher-librarian who has worked with neurodivergent learners since 1995. Her grandparents lived just down the road from Amache Incarceration Camp, and she first learned of it from her family, not in school. Gutiérrez now shares the history of Amache with her students, and it was her honor to partner with Minoru Tonai to tell his family's story. Gutiérrez lives in Denver, Colorado, and is the author of many books for young readers, including Too Much!, The Ofrenda That We Built, and Mamiachi & Me. Cowriter Minoru (Min) Tonai (1929-2023) was a Japanese American rights activist. He and his family were incarcerated at Amache from 1942 to 1945, and since their release, Tonai worked to preserve and tell stories about what his family--and so many others--endured during WWII. As the son of a teacher, one of Tonai's passions was sharing his memories of Amache with students, including students from the ABC School District, the Katari program, UCLA, and Granada High School in Colorado. He was the grand marshal of the Nisei Week 50th anniversary parade, founder and president of the Amache Historical Society, and board president of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. In 2015, Japanese Emperor Akihito presented Tonai with the Order of the Rising Sun medal, Gold Rays with Rosette, for "promoting friendly relations and mutual understanding between Japan and the United States." Tonai's three children--Susan, John, and Teresa--continue to tell his story. Chris Sasaki is an Emmy and Annie Award-winning animation artist. Along with their work on major motion pictures such as Monsters University, Inside Out, and Onward, they have illustrated several books for young readers, including Home Is a Window, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, and Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist, winner of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Picture Book and the Dilys Evans Founder's Award from the Society of Illustrators. Sasaki is based in Los Angeles, where they live with their dog, Ghost.