There's a Prawn in Parliament House

NOTABLE BOOK: 2026 CBCA Book of the Year, Eve Pownall Award
SHORTLISTED: 2026 Indie Book Awards, Children's category

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?

Author: Annabel Crabb

Illustrator: First Dog on the Moon

Format: Paperback