Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp (A Picture Book)

Gr 2-5–Although a picture book, this work packs a punch. This story loosely follows the true story of Tonai’s experience in the Japanese incarceration camps during the 1940s in America. Tonai’s father was believed to be a Japanese spy and arrested. Not long after, he and the rest of his family were sent to a detention center in Santa Anita, CA, and then to Grenada, CO. Three years after his arrest, Tonai’s father returns to his family in Colorado at Amache Camp. Over a year later, in 1945, the family and others were liberated and allowed to return to their home. This story is incredibly moving. Children will understand this accessible story, achieved without being dumbed down or condescending. The back matter of this book is also well written and aimed at the same audience. There’s information about the time period and location of events. The dates are small and not on every page; to remedy that, a timeline is included in the back. The art was done digitally. It features soft muted colors of browns, blues, and pinks, and more. Sasaki really captures theweighty emotions of this book within the characters’ faces, both sadness and joy, tonally matching the art to the text.