Apopka mixed-media artist Daniel Turnage, also known as “SQUiB,” recently launched his debut children’s book, “Baby T. Rex in Outer Space: You Can Do Anything.” 

“This project was born right here in Apopka, inspired by my son, Noble,” Turnage said in an email to The Apopka Chief. “It’s my way of showing him — and the kids in our community — that their dreams are never too big.” 

Turnage said he had written children’s stories when he was in high school in Tennessee, but he did not pursue publishing a children’s book until his wife encouraged him to at the start of this year. His book draws inspiration from his son’s bedtime routine and plush toys, including a pink whale, a great white shark and a T. rex.  

“What it starts off with is Baby T. Rex looks at his daddy and says, ‘Daddy, I want to catch a star,’” Turnage said in a phone interview. “Daddy T. Rex smiles and says, ‘You can do anything you put your mind to. Now go to sleep, my precious little one.’ So Baby T. Rex goes to sleep, and then from sleeping, that’s where the adventure begins — and he ends up in space.” 

In an artist statement, Turnage said he often creates art “at the intersection of high-concept abstraction and visceral, physical labor,” in an effort “to bridge the gap between the nonsensical and the profound.” Over the years, he believes his work has developed “a more contained, personal narrative.” 

“My practice is an act of Urban Expressionism, rooted in the raw defiance of street art and the clinical deconstruction of the human condition,” Turnage wrote. “My recent work, including the passion project Baby T. Rex In Outer Space, serves as a redemption of my past struggles. I have moved from documenting the void to building a map of resilience for the next generation.” 

Turnage said he used artificial intelligence “to help illustrate the world exactly as I envisioned it.” 

“Where many see AI as something that ‘does the work for them,’ I saw it as a new medium and an opportunity to experiment,” Turnage wrote in an email. “To me, this ties directly into my overall style of Urban Expressionism — it’s about using every tool available to document a vision and a visceral response, regardless of the medium.” 

Turnage’s book is available to print on demand at store.bookbaby.com and will launch June 10 on Amazon. A community reading at StarChild Academy Apopka will take place at 4:30 p.m. May 22. 

“If nothing else, if I don’t sell any copies, the mere fact that I wrote an original story for my son, and I’m able to read to him this story that I wrote, and it encourages him and inspires him to go after anything that he sets his mind to, that’s enough for me,” Turnage said. “I’m just really happy to be able to read the story to my son, if nothing else. We’re here in Apopka, and it’s a great town, great people, and I’m just excited for what the future holds.”