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
Review the Book
Tell friends about the book (please share this post on your social media)
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.

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS, ILLUSTRATORS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, LIBRARIANS,
AND BOOK LOVERS EVERYWHERE

TODAY’S GUEST

Hello dear blog followers…no, it is not Saturday even though you are receiving this Will Write for Cookies post…that’s because when WordPress gets wonky…and the blogger’s eyes don’t work correctly, strange things happen. But I know you will be thrilled to have this post a little early…and you can tuck it aside until Saturday if you want to.

I love when dear friends share their writing journey…and it’s especially rewarding when the creator is someone I mentored. A couple of years ago, Justin Colon organized a fabulous mentorship opportunity for un-agented and pre-published writers. I was lucky enough to be one of the mentors…and today’s guest was one of my mentees! The manuscript that caught my eye, MOON TREE, is already a book and we featured it here in 2022 for a Book Birthday post. And now, happily, this fabulous writer…and incredibly awesome human…is back with another beautiful book, M IS FOR MASON JAR, which launches in a few days, on August 12th…and I’m so thrilled she’s agreed to answer our Will Write for Cookies questions and share a favorite cookie recipe.

ME: Welcome, Carolyn! It’s so lovely to have you here! I know you have a lot to share, so let’s get started!
Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

CAROLYN: Thank you so much for having me on your blog Vivian.

Books were a huge part of my childhood, so it’s hard to choose just a few. I can’t say that I “followed” authors much. I just loved books—especially animal stories. I had quite an extended collection of Little Golden Books, and when I was older, I read all the Black Stallion and Lassie books. I did enjoy mystery series like The Bobbsey Twins and Nancy Drew, but animals always drew me in. I often checked out nonfiction books about butterflies or dog breeds from the library. The selection of nonfiction books for kids wasn’t as great back then, but I was a curious child, so I really didn’t care!

ME: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you first started writing?

CAROLYN: Oh, there are so many things I wish I had known. I had been told—or warned—that writing for children was hard, but I believed that I had an edge after writing for the adult market for 20 years. I was so wrong! Even though I was a solid writer, I had to re-learn how to write for this specific audience. It’s very different, and there are no shortcuts. I had to start from scratch along with everyone else. And even with my prior experience, it took about 10 years to break in. I had to be patient. But that’s another thing I had to learn—the hard way. Patience is necessary for every part of publishing process. Everything takes time—getting an agent, selling a book, waiting for contracts, getting sales, etc. I just had to learn to enjoy the journey.

ME: Where do you like to write – inside, outside, special room, laptop, pen and paper?

CAROLYN: My favorite place to write is on the front porch of a cabin nestled in the mountains. But unfortunately, I don’t own a cabin. I rent one every now and then to escape for a weekend. That’s when I’m most productive. When I can’t get away, I sit on my back porch (I DO live in the mountains!) and enjoy the sounds of nature while I type away on the computer. I used to prefer to write longhand, but after struggling with tendonitis for too many years, I have to use a laptop.

ME: When do you write – early morning, late in the day, middle of the night, on schedule, as the muse strikes?

CAROLYN: My best writing happens when I set aside intentional time to write. I have discovered that my mind is clearer in the mornings. By the afternoon, fatigue is setting in and I struggle to write. But I still have to. Be intentional (or it simply won’t get done!) Setting that schedule is difficult since most of my other commitments (like my job) tend to require morning hours. I simply do my best and try to reserve some weekend hours to explore ideas and creativity. When I have time in the evenings, I focus on research or revision. 

ME: Why do you write for children?

CAROLYN: As a naturally curious child, I loved exploring the world through books. My hope is that I will create books that inspire that curiosity in kids today. I want to help them discover fun and exciting things that get them excited about reading. That’s why I also write hi-lo books for educational publishers and volunteer on the board of directors for a literacy camp in my community. If I can help kids discover a love for reading by providing a book on a topic they enjoy, then all my efforts are worth it.

ME: Also, if you have any thoughts or advice for aspiring writers, please share. As well as anything else you want to talk about that parents, educators, writers, librarians might want to hear.

CAROLYN: I know it’s hard, but don’t try to imitate some else’s work or success. Every person’s journey is unique—every writer, every reader, every child. What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for someone else. That’s okay. Find what makes you as a writer unique. What piece of you do you bring to a reader that no one else can bring? Then write what you love—in a way that’s totally you! Don’t try to be someone else. There’s a reader out there who is waiting for that unique book that only you can write!

Thank you so much Vivian! It’s always a joy to chat with you.

ME: It’s we who are thanking you, dear Carolyn, for sharing so much of your writing journey.
And I know you aren’t done yet because you have a fabulous recipe to share.

CAROLYN:
I got this recipe from a fellow homesteader and podcaster, Melissa K. Norris (it’s posted on her website, so it’s totally okay to share!). It’s a 100+ year old family recipe passed down from her great grandmother. They are my go-to favorite at Christmas time! 

OLD-FASHIONED MOLASSES SUGAR COOKIES

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3/4 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar + an extra 1/4 cup to roll the cookies in
• 1/4 cup of dark molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. In a large bowl, beat together the butter (at room temperature) and 1 cup of sugar until creamy. Add molasses and egg, beating until well-blended. 
3. In a medium bowl, blend flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg. Add molasses and mix well.
4. Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes.
5. Form dough into 1 inch balls (I use a melon scooper). Roll each in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. 
6. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until cookies have set. Allow 1 minute to cool on sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 
7. ENJOY! YUM! 

Yes indeed! YUM! Thank you so much, Carolyn.
To learn more about Carolyn and her books and to connect with her:

Carolyn Bennett Fraiser
Children’s Author and Content Producer
Asheville, North Carolina
www.carolynbfraiser.com
Check out my books for children and teens:
MOON TREE (Reycraft Books, September 2022) 
OUR SOLAR SYSTEM: MOONS (BrightPoint Press, August 2022)
ANIMAL MIGRATIONS: BAT MIGRATION (North Star Editions, August 2023)

M IS FOR MASON JAR (Familius Publishing, August 2025)
Dear friends, thank you for spending your precious time with us…and I hope you will check out Carolyn’s newest book…let’s do our part in helping the book get into the hands of the children who need to read it. You can:
Buy the book
Review the book
Tell friends about the book (share this post on your social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies of the book for their shelves

As always, I hope you all stay safe and healthy and positive…the world needs our positive energy, for sure.