Gordon Brown expounded on his heroes in print, Barack Obama penned politically charged memoirs and reflections, and now Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd has revealed what his contribution to the literary canon will be: a children's book about his family pets.

To be published on 26 January – Australia Day – Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day Kerfuffle will follow the adventures of Rudd's dog Abby and cat Jasper as they cause havoc in the grounds of his family's official residence. The book was the brainchild of children's television presenter Rhys Muldoon, who has worked on the title with the prime minister along with illustrator Carla Zapel.

"It has not been the most demanding text I have worked on," Rudd told local Australian press. "I've worked on the text with Rhys and we've both interviewed the cat and the dog. They have been very co-operative in their responses but, for most of the time, have gone off the record."

He later tweeted: "Jasper and Abby end up saving the day on what could have been an Oz day disaster at the Lodge. All a bit of fun."

Rudd revealed his literary leanings in 2008 when he established Australia's richest literary prize. Worth A$100,000 (£56,000), the prime minister's awards for fiction and non-fiction are intended to "celebrate the contribution of Australian literature to the nation's cultural and intellectual life", and Rudd himself makes the final decision on the winners.

Proceeds from the sale of Jasper and Abby and the Great Australia Day will go to a children's charity, Rudd said.