Navajo Technical University (NTU) Press collaborated with author Daniel W. Vandever to publish High Desert Treasure, a children’s picture book highlighting the unique geology of the Navajo Nation. The story was commissioned by NTU under NASA’s MAIANSE program to further engage students in STEM education.

Three thousand copies of High Desert Treasure are being distributed to students across the Navajo Nation under the grant program. The intent is to get students interested in the fields of geology and environmental science by exploring the unique landscape of the Navajo Nation, which includes petrified wood, pictographs, and dinosaur tracks.

High Desert Treasure is a story about a grandmother and her twin grandsons, who have grown restless without phone service in a remote corner of the Navajo Nation. To keep the boys occupied, the grandmother sends them on a treasure hunt where they discover the beauty of the high desert and what matters most in life.

Vandever took the lead in developing the storyline while co-writing it with the principal investigator of the MAIANSE grant, Dr. Abhishek RoyChowdhury. Other co-authors of the book include Dr. Perry R. James of the University of New Mexico-Gallup, Dr. Sean Kinney of Rutgers University, and Dr. Paul Olsen of Columbia University.

Vandever’s company, South of Sunrise Creative, provided design and layout for the book and worked with Flagstaff-based artist Corey Begay on the illustrations. High Desert Treasure is the first book Vandever and Begay collaborated on since their picture book, Herizon, was named the American Indian Youth Literature Award’s best picture book in 2022.

NTU Press is selling paperback copies of High Desert Treasure to the general public on Amazon and IngramSpark in addition to the free copies being distributed through the grant. NTU Press was established in 2024 and released its first book, The Miracle of Navajo Technical University, last June.