Prime Minister Kevin Rudd launched his own children’s book at The Royal Children’s Hospital this morning.

Entitled Jasper and Abbey and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle, the picture book is written for younger age readers and explores the lives of the PM’s cat and dog.

RCH patients gathered in the Outpatients play area to hear the PM read the book for the first time.

The PM wrote the book with Rhys Muldoon to highlight the importance of reading to children.  Illustrations are by Carla Zapel.

“It’s a very practical measure to encourage literacy with the youngest Australians,” Mr Rudd said.

“Whatever we can do to encourage mums and dads and grandmums, granddads and carers to read to little ones, frankly that is a good thing for the country and a good thing for them,” he said.

All money raised from the sale of the book will be donated to the RCH Centre for Community Child Health (CCCH).

“If in a small way we can contribute from the proceeds of this book to the excellent work undertaken by this centre, dedicated explicitly to the health and wellbeing of the youngest Australians, then this, frankly, is an effort worth engaging,” Mr Rudd said.

CCCH Director Professor Frank Oberklaid says the book is an excellent initiative.

“Children are curious and inquisitive and having a book like this helps them understand a little about politics and the daily life of a prime minister,” Professor Oberklaid said.

“Of course I am delighted that the PM has chosen CCCH to be the beneficiary of any profits to be made from the sale of the book. The money will be used to further the work of the Centre in trying to make a difference to the lives of Australian children,” he said.

Right: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and actor Rhys Muldoon read their children’s book to RCH outpatients