Storybook Lady Review of
TIC-TAC-TOE CHICKEN
BY KIMBERLY TSO
ILLUSTRATED BY
LOUIE CHIN
New York City is not a great place for a chicken to live. It’s crowded and loud and busy. But you can find the city’s most famous chicken, Lillie, a.k.a. the Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken, in Chinatown. When tourists ask, “Where’s the Tic-Tac-Toe Chicken?” locals point them to a video-game arcade on Mott Street, where Lillie plays games of tic-tac-toe against anyone who wants to play against her.
STORYBOOK LADY
REVIEW
This fantastic story recalls a bygone era in a story about a real life Tic Tac Toe chicken in a China Town Arcade. For just 25 Cents, customers can challenge Lillie the chicken to a game of Tic Tac Toe. She sits inside the arcade machine with light up squares and always wins the game. In this reimagining, it is a young girl who questions the way Lillie is being treated. Beatrice knows that Lillie needs fresh air, a yard to roam and other chickens for company. The youngster takes action for what is right and uses her ingenuity to give the animal a proper home.
The beautiful illustrations by Louie Chin capture China Town with details like the inclusion of a Pagoda shaped telephone booth and the sign advertising the 25 cent game price which help set both place and time. The expressive faces help draw readers into the story so they identify with Beatrice. In real life,
in 1998 animal rights activists convinced the arcade’s owner to give up Lillie and she went to a farm for rescued animals. Kimberly Tso took this event and wove a story to raise questions, prompt discussion and inspire children to find ways to stand up for the things they believe in.
Tic Tac Toe Chicken
- Picture Book
- 32 pages
- Published August 19, 2025 by Third State Books
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9798890130297
I would like to thank the publisher, Third State Books for an advance copy of this book which was provided for review purposes through the Books Forward publicity company. However, that did not have any effect upon the contents of this review.
