The Indian in the Cupboard
**What could be better than a magic cupboard that turns small toys into living creatures?** Omri's big brother has no birthday present for him, so he gives Omri an old medicine cabinet he's found. Although their mother supplies a key, the cabinet still doesn't seem like much of a present. But when an exhausted Omri dumps a plastic toy Indian into the cabinet just before falling asleep, the magic begins. Turn the key once and the toy comes alive; turn it a second time and it's an action figure again. *The Indian in the Cupboard* is one of those rare books that is equally appealing to children and adults. The story of Omri and the Indian, Little Bear, is replete with subtle reminders of the responsibilities that accompany friendship and love. For kids, it's a great yarn; for most parents, it's also a reminder that Omri's wrenching decision to send his toy back to its own world is not so different from the recognition of their children's emerging independence.
Themes & atmosphere
What you might want to know about The Indian in the Cupboard
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
On his ninth birthday, Omri receives an old metal medicine cabinet from his older brother and a small plastic Iroquois figure from a friend. Locked with a key once owned by his great-grandmother, the cabinet brings the figure to life as Little Bear, a real eighteenth-century Onondaga warrior.
Yes. The Indian in the Cupboard has been widely critiqued for its depiction of Native Americans. The book was popular in elementary classrooms for decades but has been removed from many curricula because of stereotyped portrayal of the character Little Bear.
Yes. A 1995 film adaptation directed by Frank Oz was released. The film follows the novel's premise of a magical cupboard that brings toy figures to life.
The Indian in the Cupboard was written by Lynne Reid Banks, published in 1980 by Dent.
The Indian in the Cupboard is 198 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Indian in the Cupboard takes most readers 3 to 4 hours to finish.
The Indian in the Cupboard is a standalone novel by Lynne Reid Banks, not part of a series.
The Indian in the Cupboard is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.