Mr Stink puts a human face on homelessness — his story challenges anyone who has ever walked past someone sleeping rough without a second thought. Walliams does not preach but the message is clear: homeless people are people.
Both Chloe and Mr Stink are deeply lonely. Their friendship addresses both their needs — each gives the other something essential.
Mr Stink is judged by his smell and his bench. His real history is entirely different from what people assume. Walliams consistently asks readers to look beneath surfaces.
Chloe's family is superficially normal but profoundly dysfunctional — her mother does not listen and her father does not act. Mr Stink's presence forces each of them to change.