Irony of parenting
In this story, Marco's father is ultimately trying to help his son, by providing him with advice and criticism. Marco is told by his father that he ought to be more realistic, grounded, and mature. For example, Marco is told that his eyesight is "too keen," suggesting that his way of seeing the world is wrong. However, although Marco's father is trying to help, he is ironically stifling his son's creativity and imagination.
Irony of wisdom
In this story, Seuss shows that children are more intelligent than we give them credit for; Marco is presented as a brilliant storyteller, who brings the world around him to life using his rich imagination. This is ironic, as we usually think of adults as knowing more about the world than children, but here Marco seems to be wiser than his father.
Telling stories
At the very end of the story, Marco runs home to his father. When Marco's father asks his son about his day, we expect him to tell him about the day he has imagined, complete with confetti, elephants, and zebras. However, Marco does the unexpected and tells his father that he only saw a horse and carriage.
