As a (retired) teacher, I would say books are the best gift ever!

You could do an easy search on Amazon for children's books with her name in the title.Obviously an idea that works better with some names than others.

Anything by Eric Carle, Ezra Jack Keats, Rosemary Wells, Margaret Wise Brown. Or Madeleine by Ludwig Bemelmans, a classic that will bring you back to Paris.

Eloise, the Fancy Nancy books are fun for girly girls. At just two she will grow into these books.

There are lots of Rosemary Wells board books, some with lift-the-flap set-ups too. The Max & Ruby illustrations are charming, the stories engaging and Ruby is very relatable for a young child who is developing a sense of how things should work (spoiler alert, Ruby thinks Max's way is usually wrong.)

Here is a great list of interactive books:

https://handsonaswegrow.com/12-best-interactive-books-for-kids/

My kids loved the Max & Ruby series. I enjoyed reading them too. When my dd was a toddler, she loved dog books: Good Dog, Carl, Henry and Mudge, and the Biscuit series. I especially loved Good Dog, Carl. It is about a trusted Rottweiler who babysits the baby.

Every time I see a Rottie, I think of Carl.

Books! Kids who have been read to daily hear 40 million more words by age 4 than kids who are not read to.

I collect children’s books and have at least 1000 on my shelves. And probably have another 200 adolescent books in boxes.

here are my must haves that I buy as gifts...Not in any order

Ladybug Girl

Pinkalicious

The Day the Crayons Quit (been reading weekly at least 4 years).

No David books. Kids love mischievous kids.

Any Bear books by Karma Wilson plus Frog in the Bog

Diane de Groat books (more like age 5/6)

Bunny my Honey by Anita Jeram

Paul Galdone fairy tales. Especially love Little Red Hen.

Small by Clara Vulliamy

Gruffalo books by Julia Donaldson (or any-love them all)

Dogger by Shirley Hughes and All About Alfie by the same.

Jessie Bear books by Nancy Carlstrom

The Napping House by Wood

Bunny books by Alan Baker for teaching colors, numbers etc.

Knuffle Bunny books. These were used in my sons kindergarten last year.

These are just a few that we read constantly. from my fiction shelves. I didn’t even look on my science and history kid bookshelves. My board books are in storage so can’t recomend any other than Babies by Fujikawa. Track down the ones from mid 90s. It has the original full text.

I am a fan of Chinaberry really Introduced me to so many Of these.

My kids loved any kind of look-book (like “Where’s Waldo”, but with known characters) and any flap books where they opened little flaps to reveal a hidden picture. In fact, my 6 year old still picks those books from the shelf and he probably started with them when he was 2.

I agree with books. Or if you're crafty, make her something. My grands get enough plastic toys and so I gift them usually with something homemade (for my oldest 3 year old party, I made felt Peppa Pig puppets and a bag to put them in -- although it is a toy, it's a "special" toy). Another suggestion would be those ceramic Beatrix Potter figurines which I think are cute and perhaps a Beatrix Potter book to go with.

Yes to books! I'm 57 this year and still have most of the books that were given to me as a very young child. You won't go wrong choosing books as the gift for your sweet niece! I don't have specific suggestions, but just wanted to add my $.02 about books being the perfect gift.

Oh, Martha Scott, that is so adorable! You're a wonderful grandmother!

This blogger explains why you should get an interactive book for a two year old instead of a pop-up or picture book. Makes perfect sense. She gives a list of her favorites.

I used to buy girl's pop-up books for myself. :)

At that age my daughter really loved "My Very First Mother Goose," edited by Iona Opie and illustrated by Rosemary Wells. She loved the illustrations and could flip to every horse picture in the book.

My granddaughter will be 2 this weekend. She has been absolutely crazy for the Baby Shark video and song along with millions of other toddlers this past year. Look at the numbers of views this video has gotten. It’s crazy what catches on. Such a simple song.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XqZsoesa55w

Along with some other things I bought her Pinkfong Baby Shark Official Sound Book for $19.99 from Amazon. The yellow baby shark is on the cover. There’s also another book there with a different cover that is the same book inside but it costs $42.99 which is crazy.

i also purchased a baby shark tee shirt from a young woman on Etsy. It looks like Amazon is selling the same shirt. I’ll have to go back and check the prices although the woman was so nice and accommodating about the sizing, I have no complaints if she charged more.

So grateful for all of your responses. I have a lot of homework to do!!

seagrass

Chickadee, What a cute video wow. over a trillion!