The Indian in the Cupboard

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.

The Indian in the Cupboard is also available in Spanish (La Llave Magica.) (The publisher recommends this book for children ages 9-12, although younger kids will enjoy hearing it read aloud.)

Product Description
A young  man receives two presents that will change his life:  a plastic miniature Indian that magically comes to  life inside a mysterious old cupboard.


From the Hardcover edition.

The Indian in the Cupboard

The Return of the Indian (the one I'm reading)

The Secret of the Indian

The Mystery of the Cupboard

The Key to the Indian.

I plan on reading all these books in order and enjoying them from cover to cover.


One of the most imaginative stories ever!!!   August 5, 2003
Blah (New York, New York)
14 out of 17 found this review helpful

This was one of my favorite books as a child. I was a little disappointed with the movie especially if it keeps people from taking the time to read the book. It is worth the read whether you are a kid or an adult. It is filled with rich imaginative imagery that was not captured by the movie. Furthermore, while the whole premise of a little Indian coming alive in a cupboard is engough to keep the story moving, this is but one of the many adventures twist which unfolds in this great story. The second book in the series is just as good but then the series tapers off a little but the first two are definately not to miss.


The Indian in the Cupboard   January 29, 2000
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

This book is about a boy named Omri, and his friends Patrick, Little Bear the Indian,and Boone a cowboy. Omri receives Little Bear as a birthday present from Patrick. He was not too excited about this little toy. He was even more excited about an old cupboard his brother gave him. He needed a key for the cupboard, and luckily Omri`s mother collected keys. The one that belonged to Omri`s Great Grandmother fit. It had a red satin ribbon attached to it. He didn`t have anything to put in the cupboard so his mother said to put in the Indian Patrick gave him. He put in the Indian and turned the key. What happens next is a secret that only you can know by reading the book. I found that I disliked Patrick very much during the book. He never thought twice about what he said,or did. For instance he was about to show Little Bear and Boone to other children, but Omri stopped him. Also I could tell Omri was a fast learner because he learned really fast that Little Bear was a real person. As Omri says it they are "real people". This means they are from their own time period, and you can`t tell them what to do. Lynne Reid Banks is great at grabbing peoples` attention by an interesting plot, and a nice book cover. Banks is also aware that people reading her books might not understand the British words so she put definitions at the beginning of the book. One of the definitions is football-the British word for soccer. Banks is not good at using descriptive language. In my opinion it is a third to fourth grade reading level book. The plot of the book was easy to follow because of the easy vocabulary. This book is great to read because it teaches a little about the Ondondaga. If you liked the "Littles" series you are sure to like this book even more. When I saw the movie of The Indian in the Cupboard after reading the book I found the book was much better. This is because it has much more detail, and more scenes. I recommend this book to any readers. If you read this book and liked it ask your librarian for the other books in the series. I hope this critique will help you choose a book to read, and enjoy.


This book is a magical return to childhood fantasies   March 8, 1997
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

One of the best read aloud books ever, Indian in the Cupboard takes us on a magical journey to childhood where fantasies seem real. A young boy is in charge of a tiny, feisty indian whom he keeps in a special cupboard with a key that only he holds. He learns the excitement, value and caretaking responsibility of another human being. The imagination and detail draw the reader right into the story. As a school teacher and mother, I have experienced an emotional bonding with my students and son through this book. My son, 9 at the time, put his hands over his face and said, "Mom, this is my favorite book in the whole world." I felt a surge of joy as I watched my son become hooked on reading. One student unknowingly gave Lynne Reid Banks a wonderful compliment when I attempted to show the class a sketch of a picture in the book..."No! Don't show us the pictures!", and quickly covered his face. The descriptions and story-line of this book make it a DON'T MISS for your child's growing up years! RaNae Palme


A great book for all ages   February 5, 2006
Newton Ooi (Phoenix, Arizona United States)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

The Indian in the Cupboard is one of more popular childrens books to be published in the 1980s. Like other great childrens' tales, this is about friendship, loyalty, love, and responsibility, and all that can go wrong if these are not balanced properly. In short, a boy named Omri is given a small wooden cabinet for a gift. He discovers that if he puts action figures into them, they come to life. Likewise, he can turn the living being back into the action figure by putting it back into the cabinet, and closing the door on it. Amazed by his newfound toy, he brings several characters to life, including his favorite, Little Bear, a 2-inch tall Native American male warrior. The adventures Omri have with Little Bear bring both happiness and joy, but they are also full of surprises and dangers, such as how to keep their secret of the cabinet safe, and keep Little Bear from getting into too much trouble. The experience matures both, especially Omri, who quickly matures and learns the simple concept of responsibilty can be quite difficult to apply. Overall a great book, and much better than the movie.