Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp

Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp - Hardcover

$19.99
Sale price  $19.99 Regular price 
Skip to product information
Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp

Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp - Hardcover

by Minoru Tonai , Jolene Gutiérrez
$19.99
Sale price  $19.99 Regular price 

Book Overview

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 and has been welcomed with five starred reviews.

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.

ISBN9781419772894
Author Minoru Tonai , Jolene Gutiérrez
PublisherAbrams Books for Young Readers
GenreChildren, History, and Biography
FormatHardcover
PublishedApril 2026
LanguageENG- English
Pages48
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceKids
Print SizeStandard Print

1% fer Each of the Seven Seas

Every purchase sends 7% of our profits to The Ocean Cleanup. No fine print, no opt-in — just how we sail.

Whoever Ye Be, Welcome Aboard

Queer lit, music, art, philosophy, fiction — stories for every kind of soul. Come as ye are, matey.

About Jolene Gutiérrez

Jolene Gutiérrez is an award-winning teacher-librarian who has been working with diverse learners at Denver Academy for the past 28 years. When she was little, she would squint to protect her eyes from bright lights and cover her ears to protect herself from loud noises. Now, she wears sunglasses when she's outside and brings earplugs if she thinks she'll need them. She didn't immediately recognize her own kids' sensory processing issues because their struggles looked different from her own. She hopes Too Much! will help caregivers and educators recognize and support sensory processing challenges.

You may also like