When I Fly with Papa

This three-movement poem invites readers ages three and up to journey with the Papa of their imagination. It can be read in one sitting or spread out over numerous days. A movement or verse can guide a moment of storytelling and reflection. Readers can even skip a day or more and return to a poem for a fresh experience with Papa as God. With each illustration, readers do not see a physical image of Papa but instead, through the genius of Claudia May’s words and Jena Holliday’s artistry, meet a God who cannot be contained within one single image or limited to one encounter. The child in all readers can experience God in ways that allow their imagination and relationship with Papa to breathe and move freely.   Claudia May is a storyteller, poet, educator, spiritual director, consultant, and professor. She believes children can teach us how to cultivate a meaningful relationship with God, and that we can experience our communal lives together with the God who knows us intimately — warts a