LOS ANAGELES (March 24, 2026) — Illustrator Chris Sasaki will be joined by Susan Tonai Drews, John Tonai, and Teresa Tonai at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 1:00–2:00 p.m. at Bel Canto Books, Green Zone, Booth #854, on the USC campus.
The appearance celebrates UNBREAKABLE: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp, a powerful new children’s picture book co‑authored by Minoru “Min” Tonai and Jolene Gutierrez, and illustrated by Sasaki. The book will be available nationwide beginning April 7, 2026, from Abrams Books.
UNBREAKABLE introduces young readers to the history of U.S. incarceration camps during World War II through the eyes of Min Tonai, who as a child was forcibly removed from his California home and sent with his family to Amache, one of ten camps in which more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated. Told with spare, evocative text and striking illustrations, the book balances the harsh realities of incarceration with themes of resilience, love, and hope.
Minoru Tonai, who passed away in 2023, devoted his life to ensuring that the injustices experienced by his family and thousands of others would not be forgotten. UNBREAKABLE preserves his story for a new generation and includes extensive reference material, illustrator’s notes, and discussion questions designed to support educators and families in meaningful conversations about civil liberties, injustice, and perseverance.
Festival attendees are invited to meet the creators, learn more about the making of UNBREAKABLE, and engage with this important chapter of American history during the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, one of the nation’s largest literary events.
Book Information
UNBREAKABLE: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp
By Minoru “Min” Tonai and Jolene Gutierrez
Illustrated by Chris Sasaki
Abrams Books | ISBN: 9781419772894
Available April 7, 2026
Website: https://www.unbreakablemintonai.com/