This book was either my favorite or one of my favorite books that i have read. If you have not read this book than i highly recommend it to you because the way that Omri and Little Bear grew a relationship that amazing. This story was a really good story but it was sad also. Before i start talking about the whole story i think you should know something about the story. On his birthday, Omri is given several simple gifts, including an old wooden cupboard and a small plastic figurine of a Native American man. When he locks the toy inside the cabinet it magically comes to life as a tiny warrior named Little Bear. The boy then places other toys in the cupboard and they too come to life, even engaging in entertaining battles. But after Little Bear is wounded, Omri begins to understand that his animate toys are not playthings anymore.
In the beginning of the story Omri’s friend Patrick gave him a little Indian Figure and in the beginning Omri didn’t want the Indian toy because he thought it was stupid and actually asked Patrick to take back the toy. The two boys had often played with their plastic action figures but now were getting tired of them. That’s why the present was a small disappointment. Omri’s brother, short on money, gives him an old medicine cabinet that he finds in the alley. That gift wasn’t so bad, his mother finds a key to fit it and Omri plans to hide his treasures inside. He locks the toy Indian inside right before he goes to sleep. In the morning he discovers that the Indian toy has come to life! Omri quickly decides not to tell anyone about this, just in case he was dreaming.
Later Omri puts plastic horse into the cupboard so little bear can ride him, Omri turns the key and the horse turns real. Omri puts the Indian and the horse in a box and takes them outside. Omri, Little Bear and the horse are careful outside but get they get some exercise. Then Omri realizes that he needs needs to get ready for school, on the way to his room the horse kicks Little Bear and injures his leg. Omri looks for something to help Little Bear but realizes he has no medical supplies small enough to help Little Bear. Omri starts searching in his collection of plastic action figures, he finds a World War I army medical plastic toy. He puts him in the cupboard and the plastic figure becomes real, the World War I medical soldier starts to help out Little Bear after Omri convinces him that he is just having a dream. Afterward, Omri decides that things were getting too complicated and he turns Tommy the toy medical soldier back to a plastic figure. Then Omri gathers supplies outside so that Little Bear can build a longhouse.
At school, Omri checks out a book about Iroquois Indians which was about Little Bear. At lunchtime, Omri sneaks away from school to a store to buy a plastic Indian figure of a chief so Little Bear can have company by someone who would look familiar to him. The chief has a bow and arrow for Little Bear, but when Omri turns the plastic chief into a real Indian the shock kills the old man. Little Bear was sad and angry at Omri because now he is taking plastic toys and turning them to real life people and Little Bear did not support Omri. Despite Omri’s objections, Little Bear takes the chief’s cape, headdress, bow and arrow. While all of that is happening Omri’s father discovers that Omri has taken things from the greenhouse, which Omri used for Little Bear and Omri must rush to the store to replace the items before his dad find out anything.
At the store, Omri runs into Patrick. All along Omri had been dropping hints about having a real Indian but he would not allow Patrick to see him. Now Patrick gives him a toy cowboy and teases Omri that now he can play with real cowboys and Indians and after teasing Omri, he finally agrees to let Patrick come home with him and see Little Bear for himself. When they get to his room, Omri discovers that his brothers are in his room.
When looking for their pet rat, they discover the miniature longhouse that they assume Omri built. After getting rid of his brothers, Patrick and Omri find Little Bear and the horse hiding under the bed. Patrick was so excited that the plastic figures are real and impulsively wants to change more figures into real ones. It takes some time for Patrick to realize that these are real humans and not just wind-up toys. After watching and back and forth conversation with Omri, Patrick abandons the idea of turning all the plastic figures into real people. They rig up a miniature fire pit for Little Bear to use for cooking.
Patrick decides that he just has to have at least one of these miniature people for himself. The boys verbally and physically struggle and step on the fire pit by accident but Little Bear get really angry. Omri goes downstairs to get something for Little Bear to eat and while he is gone, Patrick puts a plastic cowboy figure with a horse into the cupboard and produces a cowboy and horse. Omri warns him to be careful but Patrick quickly grabs the cowboy and gets shot in the cheek by his tiny gun. Omri convinces Patrick not to take the cowboy home but Omri agrees that he’ll bring him to school in the morning.
At school, a girl notices that Omri has passed something to Patrick and she makes a big deal out of it. Finally they get in the building safely. The tiny men had both been lonely and afraid in the dark pockets of each owner and want to be in the same pocket. So Omri takes their weapons away and puts both men in his pocket.
When the two boys get home the cupboard is missing! Omri’s brother has taken it because he blamed Omri for taking his shorts. After arguing and Omri trying to explain that he didn’t have the shorts his brother finally returns the cupboard but now the key goes missing. Patrick and Omri go on a search to find the key.
Omri realizes that the rat, who has been hidden under the floorboards in his bedroom, must have taken the key. They pull up the carpet and floorboard. They send Little Bear down the hole in the floor. And with a lot of struggle he retrieves the key and climbs out of the hole just in time before the rat reaches him. The boys use the key to bring Tommy (World War I Medical Soldier) back to life to care for Boone which was the cowboy’s name. When Boone begins to feel better he and Little Bear begin to argue again. Omri says he wants them to go through a ceremony to be blood brothers so they will stop fighting.
As promised, Omri makes a wife come alive for Little Bear and they want to have a wedding feast. Omri decides that he needs to turn the miniatures back into plastic so that they can return to their own lives. They have the blood brother ceremony. Sadly they put the cowboy, horses, and both Indians in the cupboard. Just before the door closes, Omri and Little Bear become blood brothers. Sadly Omri and Patrick now have the plastic figures on the shelf and the cupboard is empty. Omri gives the key to his mother but keeps the cupboard…just in case.
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