Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp

Unbreakable is the somber account of author Minoru Tonai’s (1929-2023) experience as a Japanese American boy imprisoned with his family in an American incarceration camp after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.

In a coauthor note, Jolene Gutierrez writes, “My friend Minoru Tonai passed away on Sept. 3, 2023, at the age of ninety-four. As we worked together on this story, one of his main goals was to be sure that readers learn about the forced relocation and incarceration of more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry during World War II.”

Minoru Tonai trusted that his book would continue to relate his story after his death. He said, “We were prisoners of our own country, though we were not guilty of any crime, just our ancestry. There was no justice for us. I can’t get over it, because it was wrong, and I have to make sure that it never happens again to anyone else. I’m not afraid to speak up. The experience we had has made me determined that no one else should ever, ever experience that again.”

Illustrator Chris Sasaki’s artwork captures the contrasting melancholy darkness of life in the incarceration camp and the beautiful light of resilience of Minoru’s family as they cling together and try to bring beauty in chaos.

This children’s picture book would be best shared with a parent or other adult due to its difficult subject matter. Christian parents have the opportunity when reading this book with their children to talk about God’s concern for people who are treated unjustly and his command that his children act justly to all people. (Abrams Books for Young Readers)