Cover Reveals are one of my favorite posts. For me, it’s like a sonogram picture, our first chance to get a look at this new book baby that will soon enter the world. And when dear friend and fabulous author and dedicated teacher/librarian told Jolene Gutierrez me she had just gotten a peek at the cover of her upcoming book, I knew it was something I would want to share with all of you. Happily, author Jolene stopped by today to chat about UNBREAKABLE: A JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY IN AN AMERICAN INCARCERATION CAMP, masterfully written by Jolene Gutierrez and gorgeously illustrated by Chris Sasaki.

ME: WELCOME!!! We are so thrilled you are here, dear Jolene. Please share a little bit about how and why this book came to be.

JOLENE: I grew up in northeastern Colorado, but both of my parents’ families were from southeastern Colorado. When I was 13, I spent part of the summer with my grandparents and other family members in towns like Lamar, Wiley, McClave, and Hasty. I was talking to my maternal grandmother one day and she mentioned the “Japanese American Camp” down the road. 

My naive mind didn’t understand. I was imagining some sort of sleep-away summer camp, so I was shocked when my grandma explained that Japanese American people had been unfairly imprisoned in a camp called Amache during World War II. I was angered by the injustice and frustrated that this was the first time I’d heard that dark history. 

As a teacher, I’ve taught the history of Japanese American Incarceration Camps for the last 25+ years, and when my friend Dan Yoshii learned of my interest, he introduced me to Minoru “Min” Tonai. Min had been sent to Amache with his mother and siblings while his father was held unjustly by the FBI. The more I talked to Min, the more I became determined that his story should be shared widely. We started working together in 2017 and in 2023, we signed the contract for Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp, edited by Meredith Mundy and published by Abrams Books. Min helped choose our amazing illustrator, Chris Sasaki, but Min passed away in September of 2023. I wish he were still with us but am so thankful that he knew his story would live on. Min’s adult children and I have been working together since then, with Min’s words guiding us: “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 determined me that no one else should ever, ever experience that again.” –Minoru Tonai

After Chris Sasaki, the fabulously talented illustrator, read our manuscript, they wrote, “I absolutely love love love this text. It speaks to me and my family. These are the stories I would love to tell, and it would be an honor to help spotlight new Asian heroes and memories for the world to read.”

When Min’s children and I met at this year’s Amache pilgrimage, I brought the cover art with me! We were all overjoyed to see Chris’s artwork in the place where Min and his family were over 80 years ago. Here’s Susan, me, John, and Teresa at Amache:

And. . .drumroll, please. . .here’s the GORGEOUS cover that Chris created for our book:

You can learn more about it HERE and preorder through any of the links.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1419772899

Chris Sasaki is an EMMY and ANNIE award-winning animation artist. With a rich career spanning over several high-profile studios, they have directed and developed content for Pixar, Tonko House, and Apple. Their impressive portfolio includes collaborations with LAIKA Entertainment, Blue Sky Studios, Disney Television Animation, DreamWorks, and the Jim Henson Company. In addition to their animation work, Chris is a celebrated figure in the literary world, known for their captivating picture books. Their achievements in this arena have earned them the prestigious Dilys Evans Founders Award from the Society of Illustrators.

GHOST(Illustratus / Chronicle Books), Home is a Window (Holiday House), Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist (Penguin Random House), Animal Architects (Simon & Schuster), Sakamoto’s Swim Club (Kids Can Press)

Literary representation by Kirsten Hall of Catbird Agency.

Minoru “Min” Tonai spent his entire life speaking out against the injustices committed against Japanese Americans and Japanese people living in America in the 1940s. Min volunteered his time, spoke publicly, and campaigned for the rights of all people. He was founder and president of the Amache Historical Society, board member of The UCLA Foundation, founder and president of Japanese American Korean War Veterans, and board president of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. In 2015, Japanese Emperor Akihito presented Min 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.” Min was interviewed twice for Densho’s oral history project, and he was involved in webinar panels including the Japanese American Memorial Pilgrimages and Vail Valley’s The Story of Amache, and documentaries including Denver Botanic Film’s Amache Rose and PBS’s Amache: An American Injustice.

Jolene Gutiérrez is an award-winning neurodivergent teacher librarian who has been working with neurodivergent learners at Denver Academy since 1995. Jolene writes for young readers and hopes her books will help some readers feel seen and will help others learn and grow in compassion. Her books have been printed in 9 countries and 8 languages. Jolene is an active member of SCBWI, part of the KidLitCollective group, and a co-creator of #KidlitZombieWeek and Picture Book Gold. Jolene is represented by agent Kaitlyn Sanchez and is a contributor to If I Could Choose a Best Day: Poems of Possibility and the author of Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp (2026, co-authored with Minoru Tonai), Mamiachi and Me: My Mami’s Mariachi Band (co-authored with her son Dakota), The Ofrenda That We Built (co-authored with her daughter Shaian), Too Much! An Overwhelming Day, the Stars of Latin Pop series, Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks, and Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader. Find her online at www.jolenegutierrez.com or on Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram, or Threads @writerjolene.

ME: Oh my goodness!!! What a post!!! Huge thanks to Jolene for opening up her journey to us.
We can help books like this one become a success by spreading the word. We can:
Buy the Book
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Ask libraries to purchase copies for their collection

And here are some more options for learning more about the book and acquiring it:
You can add it to your “Want to Read” list on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239923253-unbreakable) 

And you can preorder it through any of the following links.

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/book/9781419772894 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unbreakable-minoru-tonai/1148019694 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1419772899

I hope you all have a wonderful week.