There's a Prawn in Parliament House

CBCA EVE POWNALL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2026 SHORTLIST - The Kids' Guide to Australia's Amazing Democracy

By: Annabel Crabb, First Dog on the Moon (Illustrator)

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Paperback | 30 September 2025

At a Glance

Paperback
240 Pages

Age
8 - 12

Dimensions(cm)
23.4 x 15.3 x 2.5

Paperback

RRP $24.99

$21.75

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A funny and informative account of how Australia's democracy works, written by one of Australia's best-known and most entertaining political writers and documentary makers, Annabel Crabb - host of top-rating ABC series The House, Kitchen Cabinet and Back In Time For Dinner. Helpful and hilarious illustrations supplied by First Dog on the Moon, Australia's only marsupial Walkley award-winning cartoonist.

Hi! I'm Shawn the Prawn, a 350 million-year-old tiny coral fossil that lives in the floor of the grand Marble Foyer at Australia's Parliament House. Sharing a house with a democracy is awesome because Australia's democracy is unique and it totally rocks.

Every three years, Australians come together on a Saturday to elect a government. We do this because having a government is the best way for large groups of people to live in peace and enjoy things like roads and airports and hospitals and delicious food without having to personally arrange all the boring stuff. But how do we elect a government? How does the government make decisions? And what is so special about our system of democracy?

Join Annabel Crabb, political writer, commentator and broadcaster, as she explores, explains and examines Australia's unique democracy from the smallest shrimp to the largest coathanger with help from Guardian Australia cartoonist, First Dog on the Moon.

About the Author

Annabel Crabb is an ABC writer and presenter who has covered Australian politics for nearly 25 years as a news reporter and columnist. She is the creator and presenter of Ms Represented, presenter and writer for the ABC-wide Australia Talks project, and co-host of the initial and 2021 return series of Tomorrow Tonight, with Charlie Pickering. She has written and presented the documentary series on life inside parliament, The House, With Annabel Crabb. She created the political interview series Kitchen Cabinet, which she has presented for seven seasons on ABC TV, and for which she received two Logie nominations in 2013 including the Graham Kennedy Award For Most Outstanding New Talent and Most Popular New Female Talent. Annabel is also host of the ABC Australian history and food series, Back In Time For Dinner, Further Back In Time For Dinner and Back In Time For The Corner Shop. She is a regular face on ABC TV's election night and Budget broadcasts and has a long history of appearances on ABC's Insiders program, including a stint as acting host in 2019. She has won a Walkley Award for feature writing, with her Quarterly Essay entitled Stop At Nothing: The Life And Adventures of Malcolm Turnbull. She is a regular commentator across the ABC's radio network. With friend and ABC colleague Leigh Sales, Annabel hosts the podcast Chat 10 Looks 3, an independent podcast in which the pair discusses books, film, culture, and cooking.

About the Illustrator

First Dog on the Moon is Australia's only Walkley award-winning marsupial-based cartoonist and has done all sorts of things including books, radio, stage shows and a lot of lying down. First Dog has been observing Australian politicians since primary school and was once the Museum of Australian Democracy's Cartoonist of the Year. First Dog's documentation of politicians' exploits and adventures can be found in newspapers such as Guardian Australia.

Industry Reviews

'Australian democracy comes alive for young readers in There's a Prawn in Parliament House. Every question about democracy, voting, government and more is answered ... This book is an essential book for young readers, helping them understand our wonderful democracy -- all delivered with Annabel Crabb's signature flair.' [Five stars] Good Reading

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