Didi’s Magic Keys A Children’s Book Inspired by Nonviolent Communication

Didi’s Magic Keys is a unique children’s story inspired by a creative problems solving approach developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, called Nonviolent Communication (NVC) www.cnvc.org. NVC is also referred to as Compassionate Communication, Giraffe Language, or the language of the heart. It is represented by a giraffe because giraffes have a bigger heart than any other land animal, and their long necks enable them to see the big picture. Hence the character in the book that helps Didi learn how to navigate his challenges effectively is a giraffe.
Didi’s Magic Keys is the story of a young boy who wants his mothers’ attention and gets very angry when she’s too busy to play with him. The impatient Didi embarks on an exciting and challenging journey to Magic Land with his friends, Puff the Giraffe and Jack the Jackal, where he meets a variety of colorful characters who pile obstacles in his way to finding his mother. With the help of his friends, Didi learns the language of the heart.
Didi’s Magic Keys teaches young children important skills to support them in working through their emotions and dealing with difficult situations. Highlighted skills include empathy, honesty, taking a breath to calm down, developing patience, and caring for others as well as oneself.
Some of the core challenges covered in the book include: working with anger toward a parent, dealing with the consequences of teasing others, connecting with people who seem angry or hostile, and developing patience and empathy in the face of adversity.
The principles behind Didi’s Magic Keys are: use your mouth to say how you’re feeling and what you need, use your ears and eyes to understand and name other people’s feelings and needs, recognize that other people’s needs matter as well as your own. Care, consideration, communication, patience and mutual support are all central themes that repeat throughout the book.
Didi’s Magic Keys reinforces effective tools and skills that parents and teachers can use in day-to-day life with children. The book can serve as an important introduction to these effective tools, or to complement other available curricular materials.
Didi’s Magic Keys is targeted at children ages 3-7, parents and early childhood educators.
22 pages in total, full color.
First published in Israel in 1999, Didi’s Magic Keys sold over 20,000 copies. It was produced as a children’s DVD in 2004 and sold over 30,000 copies.
Didi’s Magic Keys is also produced as a musical play and is performed 700 times a year in Israel since 2005. The play toured in the US for the first time in winter of 2009 and had a great success performing in private and public schools, community centers and day care facilities throughout Bay Area California.

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