![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Web-Photo-5-1024x683.png\")
Daniel Turnage reads his new book to his son.<\/p>\nDaniel Turnage reads his new book to his son.<\/p>\n
Courtesy of Daniel Turnage<\/p>\n
Apopka\u00a0mixed-media\u00a0artist Daniel Turnage, also known as \u201cSQUiB,\u201d\u00a0recently\u00a0launched his debut children\u2019s book<\/a>, \u201cBaby T. Rex in Outer Space: You Can Do Anything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis project was born right here in Apopka, inspired by my son, Noble,\u201d Turnage said in an email to The Apopka Chief. \u201cIt\u2019s my way of showing him \u2014 and the kids in our community \u2014 that their dreams are never too big.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Turnage said he had written children\u2019s stories when he was in high school in Tennessee, but he did not pursue publishing a children\u2019s book until his wife encouraged\u00a0him to\u00a0at the start\u00a0of this year. His book draws inspiration from his son\u2019s bedtime routine and plush toys, including a pink whale, a great white\u00a0shark\u00a0and a T. rex.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Become A Member<\/p>\n The Apopka Chief does not have a paywall, but pavement-pounding journalism is not free. Join your neighbors who make this vital work possible.<\/p>\n See Member Benefits<\/a>Join Our Newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhat it starts off with is Baby T. Rex looks at his daddy and says, \u2018Daddy, I want to catch a star,\u2019\u201d Turnage said\u00a0in a phone interview. \u201cDaddy T. Rex smiles and says, \u2018You can do anything you put your mind to. Now go to sleep, my precious little one.\u2019\u00a0So\u00a0Baby T. Rex goes to sleep, and then from sleeping,\u00a0that\u2019s\u00a0where the adventure begins \u2014 and he ends up in space.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In an artist statement, Turnage\u00a0said he\u00a0often\u00a0creates art\u00a0\u201cat the intersection of high-concept abstraction and visceral, physical labor,\u201d\u00a0in an effort \u201cto bridge the gap between the nonsensical and the profound.\u201d\u00a0Over the years, he believes his\u00a0work\u00a0has developed \u201ca more contained, personal narrative.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy practice is an act of Urban Expressionism, rooted in the raw defiance of street art and the clinical deconstruction of the human condition,\u201d Turnage\u00a0wrote. \u201cMy recent work, including the passion project Baby T. Rex\u00a0In\u00a0Outer 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Turnage said he used artificial intelligence \u201cto help illustrate the world exactly as I envisioned it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhere many see AI as something that \u2018does the work for them,\u2019 I saw it as a new medium and an opportunity to experiment,\u201d Turnage\u00a0wrote\u00a0in an email. \u201cTo me, this ties directly into my overall style of Urban Expressionism \u2014\u00a0it\u2019s about using every tool available to document a vision and a visceral response, regardless of the medium.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Daniel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Daniel-Turnage-poses-with-his-new-book.-Courtesy-of-Daniel-Turnage-768x1024.jpeg\")
Courtesy of Daniel Turnage Daniel Turnage poses with his new book.<\/p>\n
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