The first page of The Magic Fish sets the stage with three shaded panels. The first is red. The narration from Hiền reads: “They say we’re meant to go from here to there, but so much happens between those two places” (1). The second is yellow, which is used when Hiền remembers her past in Vietnam and journey to the United States. The last is blue, which is used for fairytales. A narration box in it finishes Hiền’s thought from above: “And there’s always more, isn’t there?” (4) Blue panels continue on the next page. Three women are depicted, one from each of the fairytales that will be told throughout the graphic novel.

Hiền feels a bit lost. The imagery shifts and shows her and her son Tiền on the bus. Hiền thinks about how “language is a map to help you figure out where you are. If you can’t read the map, you’re lost” (6). She speaks to Tiền in Vietnamese while he responds in English. She tells him that he has to tell her the story as its written so that she can improve her English. She wants to speak the same language as him.