Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tết) is probably the most formative tradition to pass onto the next generation. That’s why we put together this curated guide: 12 Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tết) Books for Kids, organized by age.
We reviewed these books based on how well they resonate with specific age and reading groups, while also vetting for quality. Every title on this list has been tried and tested by our own little readers across all age ranges. There are more books about Vietnamese traditions than you might expect, ranging from major publishing houses to independent authors. Not all are created equal, so we purchased each book, assessed the print quality, read through the content, and gathered feedback from our young readers. The books below read like real stories, not just scattered sentences on pages—and honestly, have heart.
We hope this list inspires you to introduce your little ones to Tết or gift these titles to friends and family.
A note on bilingual books: Titles featuring both Vietnamese and English work beautifully for grandparents reading to grandchildren. They’re also perfect for families with children whose primary language is Vietnamese but who are strengthening their English.
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1–2 Years: Baby Bookworms
Focus: Sensory play, simple images, and building attention
Lunar New Year with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
While this book isn’t Vietnamese Lunar New Year–specific, we’re including it because The Very Hungry Caterpillar is so universally beloved—the original has sold over 60 million copies worldwide. This Lunar New Year edition features dragons, glowing lanterns, and zodiac animals in Carle’s signature collage-style illustrations. The sturdy tabs make it easy for little hands to interact with the pages. We highly recommend this if you’re just starting your journey—plus, it’s a 2025 release, making it a fresh addition to any collection.
Author & Illustrator: Eric Carle | Language: English | Publisher: World of Eric Carle | Pages: 16 | Format: Tabbed Board Book
Màu Của Tết (The Colors of Tết)
This book doubles as a color-learning tool and an introduction to Vietnamese Lunar New Year. It teaches colors in Vietnamese (màu xanh, màu đỏ, màu vàng) alongside Tết vocabulary like bánh chưng and bao lì xì. Each spread features English on one side and Vietnamese on the other, making it excellent for grandparents to read aloud. Co-produced with Umbalena (a children’s app), the book includes a QR code for digital content and comes with a free sticker sheet. The high-quality paper is durable for tiny hands, and the style gives Usborne vibes in how it pairs colors with explanatory text.
Author: Ha Huyen | Illustrators: Ha Nguyen & Huyen Van | Language: English & Vietnamese | Publisher: Tiny Wrist | Pages: 12 | Format:Board Book
2–4 Years: Pre-Readers
Focus: Listening, identifying images, and interactive elements
Welcome Lunar New Year with the Zodiac Animals: Mừng Tết với Con Giáp
This book is adorable and a perfect introduction to the zodiac animals. Written by Jessie Duong, a first-generation Vietnamese American mom who creates playful children’s stories with a Vietnamese twist, it introduces each of the twelve zodiac animals alongside their common personality traits. The Vietnamese zodiac differs from the Chinese zodiac, and this book makes it easy to teach young learners the animals and what they represent.
What we love most is that each animal is paired with a special Tết greeting, teaching kids how to wish others luck, prosperity, and good health for the year ahead. Young readers will naturally become curious about which animal represents them and their family members, turning this into an interactive experience where they can share their newly learned understanding of the zodiac. The illustrations are fun and high-quality, set against colorful Lunar New Year backgrounds.
This is also part of Jessie Duong’s “Storytime in Vietnamese” series, which includes a companion book called Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with the Zodiac Animals.
Authors: Jessie Duong | Illustrator: Feraichi | Language: English & Vietnamese | Publisher: em bé books | Pages: 31 | Format: Board Book
Bé Sings and Learns Vietnamese Sound Book
Created by two Vietnamese moms living abroad who wanted to keep their children connected to their roots, this interactive book is a standout. It features 6 beloved Vietnamese children’s songs, including Tết Tết Tết Đến Rồi (The New Year Has Arrived), with 3 songs in Northern Vietnamese accents and 3 in Southern Vietnamese accents, plus adult and child voices. The bilingual translations let older kids follow along like reading karaoke lyrics while also understanding the meaning. Built with durability in mind, it has rounded edges and sturdy construction, and comes with batteries and an easy ON/OFF button. The cultural illustrations feature iconic elements like áo dài and áo bà ba. A perfect screen-free option for car rides or quiet play.
Authors: Tam Le & Hanh Nguyen | Illustrators: Hang Tran, Kha Le, & Meomunden | Language: English and Vietnamese | Publisher: Tiny Wrist | Pages: 12 | Format: Interactive sound book
4–6 Years: Beginning Readers
Focus: Learning to sound out words, simple sentences
Tết Together
Written by Alice Duong Trinh, a second-generation Vietnamese American pharmacist and mom in California, this book tells Tết from the perspective of two children (a boy and girl). It walks readers through all the activities Vietnamese families partake in before, during, and after Lunar New Year, from sweeping out the old year to preparing lavish meals. The language is simple, and where Vietnamese terminology appears, the author explains the meaning beautifully. Jade Le’s illustrations are rich and vibrant, portraying Tết traditions—the clothes, food, and activities—authentically. Vietnamese terms aren’t thrown around carelessly; they’re purposeful. Reviewers note this book doubles as a checklist parents can use to remember what to do each year.
Author: Alice Trinh | Illustrator: Jade Le | Language: English | Publisher: Self-published | Pages: 32 | Format: Paperback
This Is Tết: Rhyming Story About Lunar New Year in Vietnam
This book first launched in Vietnam under the title Đúng là Tết, published by Kim Dong, one of the country’s most respected children’s publishers, where it became a Lunar New Year bestseller. The story is told in rhyming verses and follows a city girl experiencing her first traditional Tết alongside four generations of family in Cổ Bản Village in Northern Vietnam. What makes it feel so authentic is that the characters are modeled after the author’s own family, while illustrator Mai Ngô drew the setting from memories of her own childhood. The book gained international recognition, appearing on the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators homepage in April 2020 and exhibiting at Singapore’s Asian Festival of Children’s Content that same year.
When reading, it feels similar to Tết Together, but the illustrations depicts what Tết looks like in Vietnam, for example, the journey from the city to the countryside shows distinctly Vietnamese landscapes. This offers a beautiful window into Tết as it’s celebrated in Vietnam, perhaps mirroring a grandparents’ experiences or connecting children to family members still living there.
Author: Bui Phuong Tam | Illustrator: Mai Ngo | Language: English (Vietnamese edition also available) | Publisher: Tiny Wrist | Pages: 44 | Format: Paperback
The Magic of Tết
Created by Windy Pham, a Vietnamese American mom in Boston who couldn’t find high-quality bilingual books for her daughter, this book explains Tết from the perspective of a family of four (mom, dad, daughter, and son). It feels like a mix of Tết Together and This Is Tết—going through the traditions and highlighting key terms, with illustrations set in Vietnam. What makes it different is the bilingual format: a simple Vietnamese poem runs alongside an engaging English story (rather than direct translation). This approach covers both Northern and Southern traditions, festive foods, and family customs. The dual-language format makes it a great book for both English and Vietnamese learners, and perfect for grandparents with limited English to read to the kids in Vietnamese.
Author: Windy Pham | Illustrator: Ngan Nguyen | Language: English & Vietnamese | Publisher: Self-published | Pages: 28 | Format: Paperback
Mai’s Áo Dài
A celebrity collaboration that brings serious fashion credentials to children’s literature. Thai Nguyen, the fashion designer behind looks for Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Kelly Marie Tran, and Ali Wong, known from Netflix’s Say I Do, partners with bestselling author Monique Truong, who arrived in the US as a six-year-old refugee from South Vietnam. This is Thai Nguyen’s debut picture book, drawing from his own journey: he grew up learning to sew at his parents’ Saigon sewing school starting at age nine before his family came to the US in 1993.
The story follows a little girl who dreams of wearing glamorous gowns on the red carpet. When her dad surprises her with an áo dài for Tết instead, she’s initially disappointed, until he shares why it’s so special. His mother was a renowned seamstress who taught him to sew, and he made this áo dài just for her. A beautiful example of taking a Vietnamese tradition, explaining its personal significance, and making it feel relevant today.
This book is a great example of taking a Vietnamese tradition, explaining its origin relative to a family, and retelling it as a story that feels relatable because it takes place in today’s context, where those who aren’t born or raised in Vietnam are experiencing their own version of Vietnamese Lunar New Year. A great transition book from learning about history and traditions to exploring what Tết looks like through the lens of next generations not growing up in Vietnam.
Authors: Thai Nguyen & Monique Truong | Illustrator: Dung Ho | Language: English | Publisher: Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books | Pages: 40 | Format: Hardcover
7–8 Years: Intermediate Readers
Focus: Building fluency, longer narratives
Tết Lunar New Year: A Vietnamese Story of Family Holiday Traditions
This book follows Julia, a girl, with shared Vietnamese and Filipino heritage as she tells the story of experiencing Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Author Vân Anh grew up in America with parents who frequently retold their history, traditions, and cuisine, and that same intergenerational passing-down is at the heart of this story. The lunar calendar, zodiac animals, and áo dài traditions are explained thoughtfully and clearly. Set in the context of a third-generation Vietnamese American family, it will probably feel immediately relatable for kids growing up far from Vietnam, Julia celebrates Tết with her grandparents, Ông Nội and Bà Nội, learning traditions through their guidance rather than through immersion by growing up in Vietnam. The author has also posted an audiobook version on YouTube, so you can preview before purchasing: Watch here.
Author: Van Anh | Illustrator: Mariana Diuh | Language: English | Publisher: Self-published | Pages: 35 | Format: Paperback and available as audiobook (narrated by Jennifer Tra)
Vietnamese Children’s Favorite Stories
This award-winning collection features fifteen traditional Vietnamese folktales, written by Phuoc Thi Minh Tran. Tran became Minnesota’s first Vietnamese-American librarian after spending ten months in a Malaysian refugee camp before arriving in America. She was recognized as a 2023 Minnesota State Fair Blue Ribbon Author. The illustrations come from Nguyen Thi Hop and Nguyen Dong, artists who started their careers in 1960s South Vietnam and whose work includes illustrations for Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh.
While not all Tết-centric, several stories explain beloved Tết traditions:
- The Legend of the Bánh Chưng and Bánh Dày – why this sticky rice cake is a Tết staple
- Mai An Tiêm and the Watermelon Seeds – the significance of watermelon seeds on ancestral altars
- The Legend of the Mai Flower – why yellow blossoms mark the season
- Why One Shouldn’t Sweep the House on Tết Nguyên Đán – the origin of this superstition
The collection includes well-known tales like “The Story of Tam and Cam” (Vietnam’s version of Cinderella) and “The Jade Rabbit.” School Library Journal recommends it for grades 2–4 and praises the watercolor illustrations as culturally authentic. What makes this book especially rewarding is that parents of various generations will likely learn these folktales alongside their children, making for rich conversation and shared discovery.
Author: Phuoc Thi Minh Tran | Illustrators: Nguyen Thi Hop & Nguyen Dong | Language: English | Publisher: Tuttle | Pages: 96 | Format: Hardcover | Awards: Anne Izard Storytellers’ Choice Award, Creative Child Magazine 2015 Book of the Year, Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards Gold Medal
8+ Years: Advanced Readers
Focus: Using reading to learn, more complex themes
It’s Tết: A Vietnamese Lunar New Year Celebration
This book takes readers through the Vietnamese Lunar New Year experience from children’s perspectives, covering all activities leading up to and during the celebration. What sets it apart is the reading level, aimed at 8 and up, and the quirky, fun illustrations. Think Roald Dahl meets Vietnamese Lunar New Year.
The book includes Vietnamese pronunciation guides and explores the fascinating history and symbolism behind Tết, including deities, heroes, and ancestors that form part of Vietnam’s rich heritage. The setting could be anywhere, which makes it feel more universal for kids who don’t live in Vietnam. It reads like a comic with narration, well-suited for older kids. Note that some conversational language might need explanation for younger readers. Perfect for parents, grandparents, and educators who want to spark curiosity about Vietnamese traditions.
Author: Hanh Morgan | Illustrator: Amurtha Godage | Language: English | Publisher: Viet Lit Time | Pages: 42 | Format: Paperback
Tết Tales: Fantastic Stories of Tết Adventures
Of all the books on this list, this one is the most non-traditional, and that’s exactly what makes it special. Tết Tales is a collection of whimsical stories, each anchored by something related to Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Some read like real-life silly experiences, others retell Vietnamese Lunar New Year folktales, and some venture into absolute fantasy territory.
The author shared that every time they wrote a new story, they felt like they were going back in time to old Tết holidays with their cousins, making up silly stories, laughing too loudly, adding one more funny detail each time they met. That memory of cousins getting together and creating ridiculous stories out of thin air? That’s such a 2nd or 3rd generation kid experience of Tết, and this book captures it.
It’s funny, weird in the best way, and definitely for kids who’ve outgrown baby books but still have the imagination to spin fantasy out of nowhere. If your child enjoys books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid (sans words like dumb, stupid, or moron) or Eloise, they’ll appreciate this fantastical, irreverent take on Tết.
Author: Mercy Tran | Illustrated by: Maily.illus | Designed by: Tin Huang | Language: English | Publisher: Self-published | Pages: 41 | Format: Paperback
Looking for more ways to celebrate Vietnamese traditions at home? Check out our guide: Your Year-Round Guide to Vietnamese Holidays with Children