Access to social media and a lot of literature: what caught our attention the most this week

BarcelonaThe 30th anniversary of the Aquarium or El Festivalot are some of the proposals of the Creatures for this week.

We also offer a review of the week's news through Andrea Zayas' comic strip, the section To think about it and the data and statements that caught our attention the most.

Cultural and leisure activities

The Barcelona Aquarium is embarking on a new era coinciding with its 30th anniversary. The marine center in the Catalan capital has undergone a renovation to improve its facilities, with the addition of new species and the updating and expansion of the aquariums, which currently house more than 11,000 organisms from 600 different species. Among the new Aquarium's main new features is a unique immersive room in Europe that offers a surprising and interactive expedition. It is also notable for its commitment to improving its educational and interactive spaces with Aqua Protectors, an activity where children can paint their fish, name it, and release it into a digital ocean, and also with an augmented reality game that will allow visitors to play at cleaning the seabed of debris.

Festivalot 2025, the music festival designed especially for families with children, returns to Girona on June 7 and 8. Launched in 2015, it invites young and old to enjoy live music in a safe, inclusive, and festive environment. With a program ranging from jazz and classical music to pop, rock, and interactive shows, Figa Flawas, Doctor Prats, La Ludwig Band, Blaumut, and El Pot Petit headline this year's edition. Festivalot combines free venues, such as concerts in Devesa Park, with paid programming at the Auditori.

Until June 15, the Circ Cric Festival has been installed in Sant Esteve de Palautordera. Get drunk, their new show with artistic direction by Jaume Mateu (Tortell Poltrona) and Luara Mateu, which can be seen every Sunday. A choral creation with clowns, acrobatics, and music. The festival also reserves space for music and sound experimentation with Sound System and the Shows and Activities Fair that fills Montseny with circus, music, theater, nature, and creative proposals for all audiences. On Sundays, you can also enjoy the Circus and Nature Walk with the Goblin of Montseny, an interactive route through the Ribera del Martí, the area closest to the circus, to discover the environmental secrets with the help of Joan Grivé.

From May 31st to June 1st, the 9th edition of the Marrameu Festival takes place. This performing arts festival fills several venues in Torrelameu (Noguera) with street performances and other activities. Launched in 2017, it's a project that champions the power of culture in small towns through collaboration and creativity. Marrameu has established itself as a must-attend event in the Lleida region, offering an inclusive and festive approach for all audiences under the artistic direction of the Festuc Teatre company.

Literary recommendations from Marta Gil, bookseller at El Gat Pelut.

Neon is locked in the bathroom, counting the seconds before he takes a big step with Aria. But every second carries months and years of history: their relationship, their conversations with their parents, their doubts and fears. Jason Reynolds gives us a brilliant novel, narrated in a countdown, whose protagonist captivates us with his authenticity. A story about love, intimacy, and teenage dilemmas, written with an honesty that moves and invites reflection.

For ages 14 and up.

What would happen if the Earth were flat? Well, absurd things like the idea that we could make a hole through the planet or that it would have more holes than a piece of cheese! With great humor, Andrea Antinori brings us the first title in the True or False series, which invites little ones to question the world through play and imagination. The dynamic illustrations and casual style make this book as hilarious as it is stimulating. A book that makes us laugh while teaching us to think.

For ages 5+.

In that house, objects don't just talk: they write letters filled with desires, frustrations, and secret plans. A chair, a rug, or a blender have a lot to say to each other—and perhaps even a plan to change their destiny. With her usual ability to capture the magic of small things, Tina Vallès invites us to listen to the hidden voices in our most everyday surroundings. A story full of humor, tenderness, and a lot of imagination.

For ages 8 and up.

What is happiness? Is it small or large? Is it hidden in a corner or within everyone's reach? This poetic and delicate album delves into a serene and enchanting search for what makes us happy. Luca Tortolini's simple yet profound text intertwines with Marco Somà's evocative illustrations, full of detail and atmosphere, to convey to readers young and old that happiness is often hidden in the simplest things and in the invisible bonds that unite us.

For ages 6+.

Going wild doesn't mean living in a tree or not showering anymore. It means looking at the world with fresh eyes and reconnecting with nature. Cristian Moyano invites us to rethink our relationship with the natural environment, not from nostalgia but from the urgent need to understand the mechanisms that keep the Earth alive. With a pleasant and rigorous style, this book proposes small changes in habits to make room for wildlife and thus save ourselves.

For ages 8+.

A little cork dreams of something beyond the garden and embarks on a great adventure around the world. In this fifth title in the Adventurer Mice series, Torben Kuhlmann pays tribute to aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart and, in the process, celebrates ten years of a collection as delicate as it is exciting. With her highly detailed illustrations and witty storytelling, Earhart tells of courage, exploration, and boundless dreams. A tribute to all girls (and boys) who want to conquer the skies.

Ages 8+.

Tired of being a boring list, the dictionary decides to write its own story... with chaotic and hilarious results! A madcap chase between unexpected words and characters—doughnuts, alligators, ghosts, and queens—takes us into a world where language comes alive. Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winstonens deliver an explosion of creativity, wit, and tenderness that celebrates the power of words and boundless imagination.

Ages 6+.

Things That Happen (To Me), by Andrea Zayas

To think about it

The incorporation of digital technologies into daily life has affected all age groups, but especially children, adolescents, and young people, who have normalized and internalized the use of devices with screens in their functioning and socializing patterns. Now that several European countries, such as Spain, Greece, and Ireland, have presented a joint proposal to establish a minimum age for accessing social media within the European Union, the ARA analyzes in a Dossier the relationship between a necessary tool and the protection of minors in digital environments.

Products such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco act as a gateway to smoking for many young people. Of particular concern is the use of e-cigarettes among adolescents. According to 2023 data, 52% of young people between the ages of 14 and 18 have tried them. Experts insist that they are not a tool for quitting smoking, but rather a gateway to smoking. Secretary of Public Health Esteve Fernández warned this week of the dangers of these devices and emphasized that the industry uses strategies to attract young audiences with attractive and seemingly harmless formats.

Midwives not only care for women during pregnancy and childbirth but also play a key role in every stage of a woman's life. They also provide care for sexuality, menopause, and the prevention and detection of health problems. However, they remain an understaffed and insufficiently deployed resource, as denounced by the Official College of Nurses of Barcelona. This demand we support, since if we want to improve women's health care, we need to invest in midwives.

said

The data

More proposals for plans and activities

• What can you do this weekend?
• Cultural and leisure plans for the entire week
• Series premiering this month
• Video games being released this month
• What you can do in the Girona regions
• New restaurants to discover
• The human tower agenda