As a child, Jack is enchanted by his mother's magical ability to make origami paper animals come to life.
These paper creatures play with him, comfort him, and become a vivid representation of the intimate bond he shares with his mother, as well as a link to his Chinese heritage.
He stops speaking Chinese and distances himself from his mother, ashamed of her accented English and traditional ways.
With help, he translates it and learns about his mother's tragic past during the Cultural Revolution in China, her journey to America, and her enduring love for him despite his rejection.
[6] Mashable praised the story as it 'explores immigration, identity, and culture, with so much heart, joy, and brevity'.