The Paper Menagerie

by James Blaylock

Jack, a little boy from Connecticut, enjoys playing with origami animals that his Chinese mother makes for him and that comes to life when she blows into them. As Jack grows into a teenager he tries to fit in with his American friends and starts to ignore the origami animals and his mother, who tries very hard to speak English and change her habits in order to please him. After a family tragedy takes place Jack finds a message from his mother in one of the origami animals and learns about her past.He is suffering.