The idea of This is Tết! came to Mai and Tâm when they wished to create a book that can touch the Vietnamese heart of the mother when reading to her child, and to help Vietnamese children living all over the world learn about their roots.
Mai’s character designs were based on Tâm’s family members - a typical Vietnamese family of four generations living together. The setting of the book was Mai’s hometown in Cổ Bản Village and memories of Tết from Mai’s childhood.