Peng is a freewheeling bachelor goose who'd rather do anything than practice for the upcoming migration. He thinks he's better than everyone else and spends his time attempting crazy stunts at even crazier speeds. In one such stunt, Peng flies too near the ground, hits a flock of ducklings and separates brother and sister, Chao and Chi, from the rest. In this unlikely meeting, Peng will begin a journey that will break his wing and nearly break his heart as he grows to understand the power of unconditional love in the form of two ducklings, who likewise grow to see him as the best father they could ever have.
The story centers on a normal boy, Tom, who gets drawn into this world against his wishes when his eccentric grandmother who he lives with in San Francisco's Chinatown turns out to be the guardian of the phoenix egg. When his grandmother perishes in battle and is spirited away in a ghost cart, Tom must apprentice with an unlikely mentor - a tiger, Mr. Hu - to learn ancient magic and become the egg's new protector. They team with an unlikely band of exotic creatures, each representing a different sign of the Chinese zodiac, who can morph into human form while retaining their innate animal characteristics.