What people are saying
A Story Worth Carrying Forward
”Some books stop you in your tracks. UNBREAKABLE: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp is one of them”
In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, Bianca Schulze sits down with author, teacher Jolene Gutiérrez and John Tonai
- The Children’s Book Review
It’s a STAR from Booklist!
“The book’s succinct text and powerful digital illustrations retell the Tonai family’s moving story for a new generation, who will surely understand the family’s hardships, including their lengthy separation from Papa and the fundamental unfairness of their situation.”
- CAROLYN PHELAN | Booklist
It’s a STAR from Kirkus!
“The narration provides just enough background to enlighten readers about this dark episode of U.S. history while never overwhelming them, foregrounding Min’s deeply relatable uncertainties….The emotionally attuned, richly told tale of one family’s unjust incarceration”
It’s a STAR from SLJ!
“Although a picture book, this work packs a punch. This story is incredibly moving. A heavy book that is done with tact; with meaningful prose and incredible artwork, this is a recommended purchase for collections.”
- SARAH CLARKE | School Library Journal
It’s a STAR from Publishers Weekly!
“A stone serves as metaphor and motif in this piercing story based around a child’s experience at a WWII-era incarceration camp. Based on Tonai’s years at Amache Incarceration center and written in collaboration with Gutiérrez, this resonant account underscores young Min’s plaintive words, “We’ve done nothing wrong, and we’re losing everything.””
- Publishers Weekly