diff --git a/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/DExtract.java b/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/DExtract.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..af96a9b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/DExtract.java
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+package io.avaje.json.simple;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
+final class DExtract implements JsonExtract {
+
+  private static final Pattern PATH_PATTERN = Pattern.compile("\\.");
+
+  private final Map<String, Object> map;
+
+  DExtract(Map<String, Object> map) {
+    this.map = map;
+  }
+
+  @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+  private Object find(String path, Map<String, Object> map) {
+    final String[] paths = PATH_PATTERN.split(path, 2);
+    final Object child = map.get(paths[0]);
+    if (child == null || paths.length == 1) {
+      return child;
+    }
+    if (child instanceof Map) {
+      return find(paths[1], (Map<String, Object>) child);
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public String extract(String path) {
+    final var node = find(path, map);
+    if (node == null) {
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("Node not present for " + path);
+    }
+    return node.toString();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public Optional<String> extractOrEmpty(String path) {
+    final var name = find(path, map);
+    return name == null ? Optional.empty() : Optional.of(name.toString());
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public String extract(String path, String missingValue) {
+    final var name = find(path, map);
+    return name == null ? missingValue : name.toString();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public int extract(String path, int missingValue) {
+    final var node = find(path, map);
+    return !(node instanceof Number)
+      ? missingValue
+      : ((Number) node).intValue();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public long extract(String path, long missingValue) {
+    final var node = find(path, map);
+    return !(node instanceof Number)
+      ? missingValue
+      : ((Number) node).longValue();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public double extract(String path, double missingValue) {
+    final var node = find(path, map);
+    return !(node instanceof Number)
+      ? missingValue
+      : ((Number) node).doubleValue();
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean extract(String path, boolean missingValue) {
+    final var node = find(path, map);
+    return !(node instanceof Boolean)
+      ? missingValue
+      : (Boolean) node;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/JsonExtract.java b/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/JsonExtract.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d55126a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/JsonExtract.java
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+package io.avaje.json.simple;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Optional;
+
+/**
+ * A helper to extract values from a Map.
+ * <p>
+ * The <em>path</em> can be simple like {@code "name"} or a nested path using
+ * dot notation like {@code "address.city"}.
+ * <p>
+ * For extracting numbers there are methods for int, long and double that will
+ * return the intValue(), longValue() and doubleValue() respectively.
+ * <p>
+ * <pre>{@code
+ *
+ *   String json = "{\"name\":\"Rob\",\"score\":4.5,\"whenActive\":\"2025-10-20\",\"address\":{\"street\":\"Pall Mall\"}}";
+ *   Map<String, Object> mapFromJson = simpleMapper.fromJsonObject(json);
+ *
+ *   JsonExtract jsonExtract = simpleMapper.extract(mapFromJson);
+ *
+ *   String name = jsonExtract.extract("name");
+ *   double score = jsonExtract.extract("score", -1D);
+ *   String street = jsonExtract.extract("address.street");
+ *
+ *   LocalDate activeDate = jsonExtract.extractOrEmpty("whenActive")
+ *     .map(LocalDate::parse)
+ *     .orElseThrow();
+ *
+ * }</pre>
+ *
+ */
+public interface JsonExtract {
+
+  /**
+   * Return a JsonExtract for the given Map of values.
+   */
+  static JsonExtract of(Map<String, Object> map) {
+    return new DExtract(map);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Extract the text from the node at the given path.
+   *
+   * @throws IllegalArgumentException When the given path is missing.
+   */
+  String extract(String path);
+
+  /**
+   * Extract the text value from the given path if present else empty.
+   *
+   * <pre>{@code
+   *
+   *   LocalDate activeDate = jsonExtract.extractOrEmpty("whenActive")
+   *     .map(LocalDate::parse)
+   *     .orElseThrow();
+   *
+   * }</pre>
+   */
+  Optional<String> extractOrEmpty(String path);
+
+  /**
+   * Extract the text value from the given path if present or the given default value.
+   *
+   * @param missingValue The value to use when the path is missing.
+   */
+  String extract(String path, String missingValue);
+
+  /**
+   * Extract the int from the given path if present or the given default value.
+   *
+   * @param missingValue The value to use when the path is missing.
+   */
+  int extract(String path, int missingValue);
+
+  /**
+   * Extract the long from the given path if present or the given default value.
+   *
+   * @param missingValue The value to use when the path is missing.
+   */
+  long extract(String path, long missingValue);
+
+  /**
+   * Extract the double from the given path if present or the given default value.
+   *
+   * @param missingValue The value to use when the path is missing.
+   */
+  double extract(String path, double missingValue);
+
+  /**
+   * Extract the boolean from the given path if present or the given default value.
+   *
+   * @param missingValue The value to use when the path is missing.
+   */
+  boolean extract(String path, boolean missingValue);
+}
diff --git a/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/SimpleMapper.java b/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/SimpleMapper.java
index ed0246cb..d3a3629f 100644
--- a/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/SimpleMapper.java
+++ b/json-core/src/main/java/io/avaje/json/simple/SimpleMapper.java
@@ -136,6 +136,10 @@ static Builder builder() {
    */
   <T> Type<T> type(JsonAdapter<T> customAdapter);
 
+  default JsonExtract extract(Map<String, Object> map) {
+    return new DExtract(map);
+  }
+
   /**
    * Build the JsonNodeMapper.
    */
diff --git a/json-core/src/test/java/io/avaje/json/simple/SimpleMapperTest.java b/json-core/src/test/java/io/avaje/json/simple/SimpleMapperTest.java
index cb2ba8eb..606dc543 100644
--- a/json-core/src/test/java/io/avaje/json/simple/SimpleMapperTest.java
+++ b/json-core/src/test/java/io/avaje/json/simple/SimpleMapperTest.java
@@ -6,11 +6,13 @@
 import io.avaje.json.stream.JsonStream;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
+import java.time.LocalDate;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
+import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThatThrownBy;
 
 class SimpleMapperTest {
 
@@ -132,4 +134,118 @@ void arrayToJsonFromJson() {
     List<Object> list2 = simpleMapper.list().fromJson(asJson);
     assertThat(list2).isEqualTo(listFromJson);
   }
+
+  @Test
+  void extract_example() {
+    String json = "{\"name\":\"Rob\",\"score\":4.5,\"whenActive\":\"2025-10-20\",\"address\":{\"street\":\"Pall Mall\"}}";
+    Map<String, Object> mapFromJson = simpleMapper.fromJsonObject(json);
+
+    JsonExtract extract = simpleMapper.extract(mapFromJson);
+
+    String name = extract.extract("name");
+    double score = extract.extract("score", -1D);
+    String street = extract.extract("address.street");
+    LocalDate activeDate = extract.extractOrEmpty("whenActive")
+      .map(LocalDate::parse)
+      .orElseThrow();
+
+    assertThat(name).isEqualTo("Rob");
+    assertThat(score).isEqualTo(4.5D);
+    assertThat(street).isEqualTo("Pall Mall");
+    assertThat(activeDate).isEqualTo(LocalDate.parse("2025-10-20"));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void extract() {
+    String json = "{\"one\":1,\"two\":4.5,\"three\":3,\"four\":\"2025-10-20\",\"five\":true}";
+    Map<String, Object> mapFromJson = simpleMapper.fromJsonObject(json);
+
+    JsonExtract extract = simpleMapper.extract(mapFromJson);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("one", 0)).isEqualTo(1);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("two", 0D)).isEqualTo(4.5D);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("three", 0L)).isEqualTo(3L);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("four")).isEqualTo("2025-10-20");
+    assertThat(extract.extract("four", "NA")).isEqualTo("2025-10-20");
+    assertThat(extract.extract("five", false)).isTrue();
+
+    LocalDate fourAsLocalDate = extract.extractOrEmpty("four")
+      .map(LocalDate::parse)
+      .orElseThrow();
+
+    assertThat(fourAsLocalDate)
+      .isEqualTo(LocalDate.parse("2025-10-20"));
+
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void JsonExtractOf() {
+    String json = "{\"one\":1}";
+    Map<String, Object> mapFromJson = simpleMapper.fromJsonObject(json);
+
+    JsonExtract extract = JsonExtract.of(mapFromJson);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("one", 0)).isEqualTo(1);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void extract_whenMissing() {
+    String json = "{}";
+    Map<String, Object> mapFromJson = simpleMapper.fromJsonObject(json);
+
+    JsonExtract extract = simpleMapper.extract(mapFromJson);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("one", 0)).isEqualTo(0);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("two", 0D)).isEqualTo(0D);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("three", 0L)).isEqualTo(0L);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("four", "NA")).isEqualTo("NA");
+    assertThat(extract.extract("five", false)).isFalse();
+
+    assertThatThrownBy(() -> extract.extract("four"))
+      .isInstanceOf(IllegalArgumentException.class);
+
+    LocalDate fourAsLocalDate = extract.extractOrEmpty("four")
+      .map(LocalDate::parse)
+      .orElse(LocalDate.of(1970, 1, 21));
+
+    assertThat(fourAsLocalDate).isEqualTo(LocalDate.parse("1970-01-21"));
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void extractNumber_whenNotANumber_expect_missingValue() {
+    String json = "{\"text\":\"foo\",\"bool\":true,\"isNull\":null}";
+    Map<String, Object> mapFromJson = simpleMapper.fromJsonObject(json);
+
+    JsonExtract extract = simpleMapper.extract(mapFromJson);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("text", 7)).isEqualTo(7);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("text", 7L)).isEqualTo(7L);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("text", 7.4D)).isEqualTo(7.4D);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("bool", 7)).isEqualTo(7);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("bool", 7L)).isEqualTo(7L);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("bool", 7.4D)).isEqualTo(7.4D);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("isNull", 7)).isEqualTo(7);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("isNull", 7L)).isEqualTo(7L);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("isNull", 7.4D)).isEqualTo(7.4D);
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void extract_nestedPath() {
+    String json = "{\"outer\":{\"a\":\"v0\", \"b\":1, \"c\":true,\"d\":{\"x\":\"x0\",\"y\":42,\"date\":\"2025-10-20\"}}}";
+    Map<String, Object> mapFromJson = simpleMapper.fromJsonObject(json);
+
+    JsonExtract extract = simpleMapper.extract(mapFromJson);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("outer.b", 0)).isEqualTo(1);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("outer.d.y", 0)).isEqualTo(42);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("outer.d.y", "junk")).isEqualTo("42");
+    assertThat(extract.extract("outer.a", "NA")).isEqualTo("v0");
+
+    assertThat(extract.extract("outer.d.y", 0L)).isEqualTo(42L);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("outer.d.y", 0D)).isEqualTo(42D);
+    assertThat(extract.extract("outer.c", false)).isTrue();
+
+    assertThat(extract.extract("outer.c")).isEqualTo("true");
+
+    LocalDate fourAsLocalDate = extract.extractOrEmpty("outer.d.date")
+      .map(LocalDate::parse)
+      .orElse(LocalDate.of(1970, 1, 21));
+
+    assertThat(fourAsLocalDate).isEqualTo(LocalDate.parse("2025-10-20"));
+  }
 }