Tonai, Minoru. Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp. Chris Sasaki, Illus. Addl. Creator Jolene Gutierrez. Abrams, 04/2026. [44]pp. Nonfiction. Trade $19.99. 978-1-4197-7289-4. GRADES 1–5. OUTSTANDING.
The experience of one Japanese American family who was sent to the Amache incarceration camp in Colorado during World War II is told using a fluid story-like text. Right after the Pearl Harbor attack, Min’s father was taken by the FBI while the rest of the family was sent to the Santa Anita Assembly Center and later Amache; they didn’t see him for three years. Reunited in their last year at the camp, Min learns perseverance by helping his father create rock gardens. The distinctive graphic illustrations use mainly dull shades of brown along with black to depict the desolate environment. This brief but emotionally resonant story is factual and will be clear to younger students first learning about this tragic chapter in U.S. history. Based on the experience of the Tonai family, there is back matter that spells out more information, including the terms used to refer to the camps which have evolved over time. Includes California-specific content.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool