The Indian in the Cupboard

Alongside Little Bear, Omri is one of the story’s two main protagonists. He is the youngest of three sons. A magical cupboard that he receives on his birthday converts plastic toy figures into real people, and Omri must struggle between his fascination for his newfound tiny friend Little Bear and his growing sense of responsibility to protect, and not exploit, the power of the cupboard. Compared to his friend Patrick, Omri shows uncommon maturity with regard to the cupboard’s magical properties. At the end of the novel, he even relinquishes the magical key to his mother to mitigate the potential of abusing its power. Omri’s story teaches readers that compassion and respect are hard to achieve but much more satisfying than simplistic, one-dimensional amusements.

An Iroquois chief’s son by birth and a leading warrior in his mid-1700s community, Little Bear is transported magically into Omri’s cupboard, where he embodies a small toy figurine and must work with Omri to obtain food and shelter. A bit conceited but extremely smart, courageous, and fair-minded, Little Bear’s personality fills Omri’s world with a new and different outlook and attitude.