Written by Kimly Hoang-Nakata, M.Ed. Illustrated by Hameo Pham
↓ bring in the new year
An invitation
Open the lì xì to begin
May this new year bring you as many blessings as there are blossoms on the đào tree.
✨ Tap the envelope for a fortune ✨
Why families love it
Everything you need to share Tết with your child
An award-winning bilingual celebration of Tết, Vietnam's Lunar New Year. In full English and Vietnamese, with bright, joyful illustrations, children share the moments of preparing for and celebrating this special holiday — and feel closer to their own roots. And because it's written by a teacher, every copy ends with a glossary of key words and essential questions to help guide learning.
Celebrate Tết together — and share it proudly with friends, teachers, and classrooms.
Full dual-language text: English + Tiếng Việt on every page, with true diacritics.
Award-validated: an IIBA Winner and BookFest 1st-Place pick, featured on national TV.
More than a storybook — a glossary and essential questions in the back to guide learning.
Inside the book
Everything that makes this Tết book different
Two full languages
English and Tiếng Việt on every page, with true Vietnamese diacritics — both languages equal, never a footnote.
An's Tết story
Follow An and her family as they prepare, celebrate with ông bà, and discover what Tết means to Vietnamese families everywhere.
Authentic Vietnamese Tết
Mai & đào blossoms, lì xì, bánh chưng, the lân dance, kumquat tree, mứt, and Chúc Mừng Năm Mới.
Teacher-built learning
A glossary of key words and essential questions in the back — written by a teacher to guide reading at home and in the classroom.
Made for ages 4–12
Read-aloud friendly, classroom-ready, and a meaningful Lunar New Year gift for the whole family.
Three ways to read it
Hardcover, paperback, and Kindle — 25 pages of bright, joyful illustrations.
Meet the cast
The whole celebration comes to life
The family — and the joyful world of Tết — that fills every page.
The Family
Gia đình
Ông bà, parents, and little An — Tết is when everyone comes home.
The Lion Dancer
Múa lân
Luck and joy come dancing right down the street.
Apricot Blossom
Hoa mai
The golden flower that means Tết has arrived in the South.
Lucky Money
Lì xì
Red envelopes of good fortune for the children.
Kumquat Tree
Cây quất
A little tree heavy with fruit — a wish for a fruitful year.
Sticky-Rice Cake
Bánh chưng
Wrapped in green leaves — the taste of the new year.
Step inside
A peek between the pages
Every spread, in two languages — English and Tiếng Việt side by side.
Getting the home ready for Tết.
Cả nhà dọn nhà đón Tết.
The lân dances down the street.
Múa lân rộn ràng phố phường.
Lì xì and a feast with family.
Mừng tuổi và bữa cơm sum vầy.
Scene illustrations inspired by the story — the book's published art is shown on the cover above.
More than a storybook
Made by a teacher — so the learning doesn't stop
"I'm a teacher first. Every book ends with the resources I'd want in my own classroom — a glossary and essential questions — so the reading doesn't stop when the story does."
The glossary — tap a word to flip
A sample from the bilingual glossary in the back of the book.
From the author
"When I was a newcomer in the U.S., I didn't have culturally relevant books at school."
Kimly Hoang-Nakata was born in Huế, Vietnam and immigrated to the United States at age nine, keeping her home language and culture close. A teacher, award-winning author, and founder of Achieve Education, she wrote Bringing in Tết to give children the book she never had — and to inspire her own students: "Having their teacher as a published author really got them to lift up their pencils."
Bringing in Tết follows a young girl, An, and her family as they prepare for and celebrate Tết, Vietnam's Lunar New Year — sharing the traditions, food, and meaning of the holiday. It is a bilingual (English + Vietnamese) rhyming picture book.
What awards has Bringing in Tết won?
Bringing in Tết won the International Impact Book Awards 2024 (Children’s Education) and First Place at The BookFest Award, Spring 2024 (Children’s Picture Books). It was also featured on SBTN national television.
Is Bringing in Tết bilingual?
Yes. Every page is written in both English and Vietnamese, making it a natural fit for bilingual families, dual-language classrooms, and children learning Vietnamese.
What age group is Bringing in Tết for?
Bringing in Tết is written for children ages 4–12. It includes essential questions and a glossary of key Vietnamese vocabulary, so it works for read-alouds at home and for classroom use.
Where can I buy Bringing in Tết?
Bringing in Tết is available in hardcover on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Use the buy buttons on this page to go directly to the retailer.
Who wrote Bringing in Tết?
Bringing in Tết was written by Kimly Hoang-Nakata, M.Ed., an award-winning bilingual children’s author and educator, and an International Impact Book Awards 2025 Author of the Year Finalist. It is illustrated by Hameo Pham.
First Place
National TV
