Children are not born with a sense of social justice. It is something that develops over time if they are surrounded by positive influences. And it is never too early to instill the value of community and explain the value of collective action.

When many current 1199ers were children themselves, labor unions were much more prevalent in society. Over time, good union jobs have become harder and harder to find.

Little Meena and the Big Swim by Lorna Gonsalves, published in both English and Spanish, was written to help reintroduce the children and grandchildren of current labor union members to the core principles of collective action.

The book tells the story of how big, greedy fish suddenly take over the “Rainbow Mound” where Little Meena and her fishy friends were accustomed to eating their breakfast.

Five days in a row the big fish shoo the little fish away and hoard all the best food for themselves. Little Meena and her fishy friends initially feel powerless in the face of the seemingly overwhelming power of the big fish.

Eventually, suffering from hunger pangs and fed up with the situation, Little Meena cooks up a plan to confront the bullies. She remembered the stories her grandmother used to tell about organizing “Big Swims”—lots of fish who wanted to solve the same problem coming together to create a stronger force.

Little Meena and her friend Ridwan then proceed to swim around all the places where little fish gather and shared her idea of organizing a big swim. The organizing efforts pay off and eventually enough small fish agree to take part in a Big Swim.

Like all confrontations with forces trying to take more than their fair share, the moment the Big Swim reaches the rainbow mound turns ugly. The big fish taunted the little ones, calling them “striped and speckled brats” and refused to budge. In the end, the sheer weight of numbers forced the bullies off the mound and the little fish swam up onto it, chanting: “Food for All!”

The book’s author, Dr Gonsalves believes strongly in the power of storytelling to promote the kind of collective action needed to build a just world.