How can I make my toddler give up TV/tablets/smartphones and take up books and toys?

Mommy, I'll have to say the only way you can do so is to lead by example. Kids follow parents without realizing, and once your toddler sees you reading, natural curiosity will come into work. Stop or cut down on spending time with your gadget and do not hand it to your toddler, no matter how tempting it may feel. Instead, sit down with your toddler and read out stories that have an everyday feel to it that your toddler can associate with. Some great books at this age are the Bruno series, the Pepper series, the Peppa Pig series and even the early Dora series. Read books as much as possible, during the day and at bedtime. And let your toddler have as much unstructured and free play as possible :) Encourage outdoors instead of indoors too.

Yeah, you'll have to lead by example. In today's highly digital world, it's difficult to shield your family from electronic gadgets. However, you can certainly limit the usage for yourself and your kid as well. Read to your kid often. Kids love doing activities with parents. Make reading together something that she will look forward to. Place books and toys at appropriate places for the kid to take out themselves -- this gives them a sense of control. Unless absolutely necessary, check messages on your tablet when the kid is not there e.g., sleeping or not at home. It will take some time but once the reading habit has set in, you'll seldom find your kid whining for electronic devices.