Chasten Buttigieg's kids with husband Pete Buttigieg, Penelope and Gus, have inspired his new children's book, "Papa's Coming Home", which has become an instant hit.

Chasten, 35, tells PEOPLE that he wanted his kids to "see themselves in the story", and the book's message about parents who travel for work has resonated with many.

"People are really hungry for joy", he says. "It's so cool to get pictures from friends reading [it] to their kids."

The Book's Relatable Message

The book, illustrated by Dan Taylor, is about a gay couple and their two children, which is ever-so-playfully modeled on real life.

Chasten says he wanted to write a sweet book for his kids rather than screaming a message from the mountaintop. He likens "Papa's Coming Home" to "a little bit of spinach in there wrapped up in a lot of sugar."

Family Life in Michigan

Chasten says there's been a lot of joy since he and Pete, 43, who served as secretary of transportation in the Biden administration, relocated to Chasten's native Michigan.

For one thing, they're now far away from the infamous fishbowl of Washington, D.C. Chasten tells a story about Pete helping their kids at the playground and when Chasten made a quip about being written up by a Washington Post reporter, another parent admitted they actually worked for The New York Times.

Chasten says, "We can actually say no to things for a while [and] focus on being a family."

The Twins' Adventures

Chasten shares that the twins, Penelope and Gus, who are about to turn 4, were just like "little humans", they waited in line and carried their bags, navigating airport chaos with aplomb.

Ahead of an outing to the Central Park Zoo, "We had an entire monologue from Gus about the types of animals they're going to see", Chasten says.

Chasten's mom, Sherri, was separately "beside herself" about the chance to see Kelly Clarkson film her talk show.

Chasten says, "I love how creative they are and how kind they are, and I just — I'm so excited to see the people they continue to become."

Read more about Chasten Buttigieg's new children's book, "Papa's Coming Home", and his family life in Michigan.