In non-fiction, I vote for MERMAID QUEEN by Shana Corey & Edward Fotheringham. It tells the story of Annette Kellerman, the first woman to attempt to swim the English Channel. She also invented water ballet and the modern bathing suit. She was arrested for indecent exposure for wearing her bathing suit, but she stood up for her belief that women should be able to swim (and not get bogged down in heavy wool bathing skirts) and won! And, the illustrations are glorious! One of my fave PBs of last year.
MOSTLY MONSTERLY by Tammi Sauer & Scott Magoon features Bernadette, a monster who's different, but she embraces her differences.