diff --git a/src/common_union.rs b/src/common_union.rs
index 8fcbeba..93b3ead 100644
--- a/src/common_union.rs
+++ b/src/common_union.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 use std::sync::{Arc, OnceLock};
 
 use datafusion::arrow::array::{
-    Array, ArrayRef, BooleanArray, Float64Array, Int64Array, NullArray, StringArray, UnionArray,
+    Array, ArrayRef, AsArray, BooleanArray, Float64Array, Int64Array, NullArray, StringArray, UnionArray,
 };
-use datafusion::arrow::buffer::Buffer;
+use datafusion::arrow::buffer::{Buffer, ScalarBuffer};
 use datafusion::arrow::datatypes::{DataType, Field, UnionFields, UnionMode};
+use datafusion::arrow::error::ArrowError;
 use datafusion::common::ScalarValue;
 
-pub(crate) fn is_json_union(data_type: &DataType) -> bool {
+pub fn is_json_union(data_type: &DataType) -> bool {
     match data_type {
         DataType::Union(fields, UnionMode::Sparse) => fields == &union_fields(),
         _ => false,
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ impl JsonUnion {
             strings: vec![None; length],
             arrays: vec![None; length],
             objects: vec![None; length],
-            type_ids: vec![0; length],
+            type_ids: vec![TYPE_ID_NULL; length],
             index: 0,
             length,
         }
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ impl FromIterator<Option<JsonUnionField>> for JsonUnion {
 }
 
 impl TryFrom<JsonUnion> for UnionArray {
-    type Error = datafusion::arrow::error::ArrowError;
+    type Error = ArrowError;
 
     fn try_from(value: JsonUnion) -> Result<Self, Self::Error> {
         let children: Vec<Arc<dyn Array>> = vec![
@@ -199,3 +200,109 @@ impl From<JsonUnionField> for ScalarValue {
         }
     }
 }
+
+pub struct JsonUnionEncoder {
+    boolean: BooleanArray,
+    int: Int64Array,
+    float: Float64Array,
+    string: StringArray,
+    array: StringArray,
+    object: StringArray,
+    type_ids: ScalarBuffer<i8>,
+}
+
+impl JsonUnionEncoder {
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn from_union(union: UnionArray) -> Option<Self> {
+        if is_json_union(union.data_type()) {
+            let (_, type_ids, _, c) = union.into_parts();
+            Some(Self {
+                boolean: c[1].as_boolean().clone(),
+                int: c[2].as_primitive().clone(),
+                float: c[3].as_primitive().clone(),
+                string: c[4].as_string().clone(),
+                array: c[5].as_string().clone(),
+                object: c[6].as_string().clone(),
+                type_ids,
+            })
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[must_use]
+    #[allow(clippy::len_without_is_empty)]
+    pub fn len(&self) -> usize {
+        self.type_ids.len()
+    }
+
+    /// Get the encodable value for a given index
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// Panics if the idx is outside the union values or an invalid type id exists in the union.
+    #[must_use]
+    pub fn get_value(&self, idx: usize) -> JsonUnionValue {
+        let type_id = self.type_ids[idx];
+        match type_id {
+            TYPE_ID_NULL => JsonUnionValue::JsonNull,
+            TYPE_ID_BOOL => JsonUnionValue::Bool(self.boolean.value(idx)),
+            TYPE_ID_INT => JsonUnionValue::Int(self.int.value(idx)),
+            TYPE_ID_FLOAT => JsonUnionValue::Float(self.float.value(idx)),
+            TYPE_ID_STR => JsonUnionValue::Str(self.string.value(idx)),
+            TYPE_ID_ARRAY => JsonUnionValue::Array(self.array.value(idx)),
+            TYPE_ID_OBJECT => JsonUnionValue::Object(self.object.value(idx)),
+            _ => panic!("Invalid type_id: {type_id}, not a valid JSON type"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub enum JsonUnionValue<'a> {
+    JsonNull,
+    Bool(bool),
+    Int(i64),
+    Float(f64),
+    Str(&'a str),
+    Array(&'a str),
+    Object(&'a str),
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_json_union() {
+        let json_union = JsonUnion::from_iter(vec![
+            Some(JsonUnionField::JsonNull),
+            Some(JsonUnionField::Bool(true)),
+            Some(JsonUnionField::Bool(false)),
+            Some(JsonUnionField::Int(42)),
+            Some(JsonUnionField::Float(42.0)),
+            Some(JsonUnionField::Str("foo".to_string())),
+            Some(JsonUnionField::Array("[42]".to_string())),
+            Some(JsonUnionField::Object(r#"{"foo": 42}"#.to_string())),
+            None,
+        ]);
+
+        let union_array = UnionArray::try_from(json_union).unwrap();
+        let encoder = JsonUnionEncoder::from_union(union_array).unwrap();
+
+        let values_after: Vec<_> = (0..encoder.len()).map(|idx| encoder.get_value(idx)).collect();
+        assert_eq!(
+            values_after,
+            vec![
+                JsonUnionValue::JsonNull,
+                JsonUnionValue::Bool(true),
+                JsonUnionValue::Bool(false),
+                JsonUnionValue::Int(42),
+                JsonUnionValue::Float(42.0),
+                JsonUnionValue::Str("foo"),
+                JsonUnionValue::Array("[42]"),
+                JsonUnionValue::Object(r#"{"foo": 42}"#),
+                JsonUnionValue::JsonNull,
+            ]
+        );
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 75b18f6..692478e 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ mod json_get_str;
 mod json_length;
 mod rewrite;
 
+pub use common_union::{JsonUnionEncoder, JsonUnionValue};
+
 pub mod functions {
     pub use crate::json_as_text::json_as_text;
     pub use crate::json_contains::json_contains;