Beatrix potter.
DD was given her name spelled out in these china letters, they are a lovely keepsake. Quite expensive if he has a long name though! - You can get them in department stores and collectables.
She also was given the complete works of Beatrix Potter, and the complete set of Winnie the Pooh books, they are lovely.
Toys wise, we bought a toddle truck similar to this ready for her starting to walk, that was well used, the blocks still are (she is 2 now). They vary in price, you can pick up cheap ones in tesco and ikea around the £10-£15 mark, or pay top whack on a fancy one.
We also bought her a small rocking horse. Again they vary in price and style, you can get ones with an enclosed seat that he could probably use now, or a bigger one that he will be able to use next year once he has found his feet and balance.
To be honest though, I asked my family to put money into her account rather than spend a lot on toys at such a young age. They of course were free to buy her toys/clothes etc if they prefered but we have a large family and DD gets so much, putting some money away for her future is always my first choice.