Unbreakable a Japanese American family in an American incarceration camp

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.