A sound-producing toy configured to represent a living being having movable parts to simulate a natural form of animation of a mouth includes a sound-producing unit operable in the response to the simulated animation. Animation may be simulated by a hand inserted in the toy, by operation of an actuator incorporated in the toy, or by a remote control device. The apparatus includes a switch that activates a sound-producing unit, which produces a sequence of syllables that is capable of being synchronized with the animation of the mouth. The onset, coda, and duration of each syllable's nucleus is controlled by the user of the toy with the ability to synchronize visual animation and the vocal performance of a familiar song, poem, or other series of verbal audio events divided into individual syllables, in a totally realistic manner. In another aspect of the invention, a musical instrumental sequenced performance may be synchronized with the vocal presentation and the synchronized visual animation of the toy.