The Indian in the Cupboard

By: Lynne Reid Banks

Narrated by: Lynne Reid Banks

Length: 4 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

It all started with a birthday present that Omri didn't want: a small plastic Indian that was no use to him at all. But an old wooden cupboard and a special key brought his unusual toy to life, and strange and wonderful things began to happen.

As Omri struggles to balance his real life in England with the characters of the Wild West of 18th century America, his incredible adventures are a fantasy beyond his wildest imagination.

©1980 Lynne Reid Banks (P)1995 Random House, Inc., Listening Library, An Imprint Of Random House Audio Publishing Group

Critic reviews

"The best children's book of the year." (The New York Times)
"Ms. Banks has a riveting expressive contralto voice." (School Library Journal)

Fabulous for Family, Provides Discussion Topics

If you could sum up The Indian in the Cupboard in three words, what would they be?

In three words: Exhilarating, Thought-provoking, Engaging

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Indian in the Cupboard?

The most memorable moment of The Indian in the Cupboard was when Little Bear came to life for the first time. His introduction to this new world (and even going outside) was enthralling!

Which character – as performed by Lynne Reid Banks – was your favorite?

The character of Little Bear (Little Bull in original text) was humorous and often used to teach lessons through his experiences. He could make us all laugh out loud and we still quote him even after we finished the book months ago.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is hard to answer. I'm honestly not sure any book exists of which I could listen in one sitting! But it's a plot-driven book so each evening, the whole family (even the littlest ones) were excitedly anticipating listening to the next chapter.

Any additional comments?

This book does seem to perpetuate racial stereotypes but I think this gives an opening to holding discussions about different races and their associated stereotypes. I don't think avoiding this classic altogether is necessary and highly recommend it as a family audiobooks (dads love this tale too!).

Fun listen

Great listening enjoyed by the whole family on the road! Couldn't wait to hear more!

Timeless classic.

I remembered parts of this from childhood. Was glad to be able to share it with my son on a long car trip. Kept him enthralled.

Excellent read!

Love the creative way the author created a childhood wish... brought it to life! I can't wait to read with the children!

I really like this book

the first thing is that you are amazing at writing the story.
the last thing is that you have no problem with your opinion

Good but a few swear words

I enjoyed listening to this book with my children ages 5-11. Unfortunately there were 5+ uses of swear words like “hell,” “damn,” and also inappropriate use of “God.” Overall, still a timeless story:)

Fcuvuuvv giving

I like it
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Robert's Review

This is a great book for kids
It teaches so many moral lessons.
The narrative is out standing.
There are more books to the series. But only in print, not audio. But do get them all.

Loved it!

My son loved this! We enjoyed the author's reading and fantastic expression. We hated to have it end!

Great but its different than the book!

Any additional comments?

The reading and the story are great! However, we were listening to this in my classroom to go along with the book and it is different than the book. Both are unabridged additions and yet they do not match. The Indian has a different name and there are other words that are the same.