Fanyana is a little boy who lives in Africa and, because he is very poor, he makes a toy crocodile out of clay. When a lion is about to have Fanyana for his dinner, the crocodile, called Makulu, comes to life and chases the lion away. He then instructs Fanyana to help the animals and even become friends with the nasty lion. Fanyana talks to the animals is a title of children's verse in which Fanyana does exactly what the crocodile says and helps many animals with their problems.