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Amy Robach and Husband Andrew Shue on How Their Blended Family Inspired Kid's Book Better Together

AMY ROBACH and ANDREW SHUE
AMY ROBACH and ANDREW SHUE

AMY ROBACH/Instagram

Amy Robach and husband Andrew Shue are hoping their experience as a blended family can help others learn to find common ground.

The 20/20 co-anchor, 48, and Melrose Place alum, 54, released their first children's book, Better Together, Tuesday, a sweet tale inspired by their own blended family about compromise and learning to appreciate others' differences.

Since tying the knot in 2010, Robach and Shue have been raising a blended family (whom they affectionately call the "ShueBachians") with their five children from previous marriages, sons Nate, 25, Aidan 23, and Wyatt Shue, 18, plus daughters Ava, 18, and Annalise McIntosh, 15.

The children's book, illustrated by Lenny Wen, follows a family of chipmunks and a family of squirrels that must find a way to live together after a big thunderstorm causes them to flee from their woodland homes.

"We felt that there was a story in our family's story that could resonate with blended families, but also could just resonate with people in general in the country who are struggling a little bit to find the love and the common ground that we all share," Andrew tells PEOPLE.

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AMY ROBACH and ANDREW SHUE
AMY ROBACH and ANDREW SHUE

Penguin Random House

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The GMA3: What You Need to Know co-anchor explains that the idea for Better Together began when she and Andrew first brought their families together and would use the animals in their backyard as a metaphor for their new blended family.

"We used to actually tell them stories, and especially the little ones, about the animals in our yard and how they all became a family together," she says. "And so we used to joke and say, 'One day we should write a children's book about how family isn't just about who you're related to by blood, but who you choose to love, who you choose to respect, and who you choose to find common ground with.' "

Along with learning how to get along as a family, Amy says another "cool lesson" from the children's book is that "your way isn't the only way and it's not even necessarily the best way."

"Learning from other people about how they do things or what they like to eat or what they like to do, you can learn a whole new set of skills," Amy adds. "The whole better together concept is just teaching people that it's not about whose side you're on or who did it better. It's about coming together."

As for how their own children came together as a family, Amy and Andrew say they've been "blown away by [their] kids."

"I think that was the most beautiful part of it, just to see how well and how willing they were to ultimately love each other. That was a beautiful thing," Amy says.

Adds Andrew: "We're able to see the fruits of our labor, and see how the kids are all getting along and how much they appreciate each other, even though they aren't blood relatives, that they too have built a family and a sense of family."

Better Together is available on bookshelves now.