Trying to remember name of book I had when I was little...

[ColumboGoesBananas]

It was a picture book story about Monsieur (something...it was set in France) who had a pear tree with the most delicious pears on it, and a weird and wonderful monster used to come and eat the pears so he stayed up to see if he could catch it and then befriended it. In the end it turned out it was 2 children dressed up in a blanket. Sounds rubbish was it was in fact great. Now what was it called?

is it
the beast of monsieur racine

Wow that was quick!

Can you find mine now...

It was a series of books I read at Primary school, which were about a child who had ventured into a world where there were walking/talking tree stumps (who were bad).

I seem to remember something about a phial/flask or pouch of silver liquid/dust.

Was it The Dark is Rising? I've only ever seen that as a paperback not as slim little picture books (like ORT ones)

no walking trees in the Dark is Rising (more Arthurian legends)

The reason I think that is one of the books may have had that title, each book had a different name.

It has bugged me since DD was 5 and I want to read them to her/ for her to read them as they were great.

So who was at primary school in the late 70's, someone else must have read them?

It was The Beast of Monsieur Racine...how could I have forgotten, having done a French degree 'n all, you'd think the Racine bit would have struck a cord...

Many thanks. Will look for it in the shops.