I've recently listened to two books on CD, both narrator by Patricia Conolly, that confirmed a sneaking suspicion I've had regarding the difference between Continental European writing for children and US, or even British, writing for the same audience.
Silvana De Mari's The Last Dragon and Eva Ibbotson's The Dragonfly Pool couldn't be two more different types of books. The first is a fantasy which tells the story of Yorsh, the last elf, and the humans with whom he interacts, and the last dragon. It is high fantasy, spanning the lives of two generations, with only lightly veiled commentary on human politics and quite a bit of wry humor.
The second is historical fiction, though Ibbotson is probably better known for her fantasy. It is the story of Tally, a girl who is sent from London to a "progressive school" at the start of World War II, and then travels to the fictionalized "Bergania" which seems to hearken back to Ibottson's own native Austria. The narrative then switches to focus on Karil, the prince of the soon invaded country.
What is the similarity between these two?
I think it is pacing. Like Cornelia Funke, both Di Mari and Ibbotson take their time telling this story. The pleasure in these tales is not the breathtaking action scenes, but the overlays and reflections as we move from one scene to the next, delighting in the clever foreshadowing and backtracking and subtle humor. I wonder if this is a "continental flavor?"
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