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By Owen Fender

For the Clemmons Courier

A Clemmons mother is set to become a published author on March 18 with the release of her first book, “Torrible Puns: A Collection of Punny Poems.”

The book features a collection of poems by Tricia Torrible, each utilizing double meanings to entertain and challenge young readers.

Torrible’s interest in writing children’s books began in 2016 after the birth of her second child.

“With two young children, I spent a lot of time reading children’s books,” she said. “One day, while sitting on the couch feeding one child and reading to the other, I got the idea to write a picture book of my own.”

When asked how she came up with the idea for a book of “punny poems,” Torrible explained that she has always had an analytical mind — she even worked in analytics before becoming a stay-at-home mother. She also shared that humorous poetry had been her favorite as a child and joked, “With the last name Torrible, I was destined to write a pun book.”

While Torrible believes her book will entertain children — having tested the poems on her own three kids before including them — she also sees other benefits.

“I feel that combining laughter and poetry is a powerful tool for well-being,” she said.

She explained that poems help children build literacy skills because “their rhythm and structure help kids learn language,” while laughter aids in social and emotional development. By merging the two, she hopes to provide a book that is both entertaining and educational, encouraging young readers to think critically about wordplay and double meanings.

For Torrible, crafting poetry is both an art and a science.

“Poems are like a dance between words; each syllable has to take the right step to find balance with the others,” she explained.

She hopes her careful attention to rhythms and wordplay will make her collection an engaging way for children to explore language.

When asked about her writing experience, Torrible said she was fortunate never to encounter writer’s block, as she found creating new poems to be an enjoyable process. She described how maintaining a positive attitude was easy since she viewed her poems as “a series of really short wins.” However, as someone new to publishing, she now has a deep appreciation for the behind-the-scenes work involved in producing a book.

“It is definitely a long process,” she said. “I never understood why it took so long, but now I appreciate all the effort that goes into the back end of a project.”

This may not be the last book we see from Torrible. She is already working on additional children’s books — some featuring poetry and others following a more traditional story-based format.

If you have young children or simply want to support a local author, Torrible Puns: A Collection of Punny Poems will be available at all major bookstores on March 18. It is currently available for preorder on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.