diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index ffa1ccc..ddf96b1 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ mod error;
 mod ip4;
 mod kbin_wrapper;
 mod node;
-mod node_definition;
 mod node_types;
 mod options;
 mod printer;
diff --git a/src/node/collection.rs b/src/node/collection.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd09213
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/node/collection.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+use std::iter::Iterator;
+
+use node::NodeDefinition;
+use node_types::StandardType;
+
+/// A collection of node definitions (`NodeDefinition`)
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct NodeCollection<'buf> {
+  base: NodeDefinition<'buf>,
+  attributes: Vec<NodeDefinition<'buf>>,
+  children: Vec<NodeCollection<'buf>>,
+}
+
+impl<'buf> NodeCollection<'buf> {
+  pub fn from_iter<I>(mut iter: I) -> Option<NodeCollection<'buf>>
+    where I: Iterator<Item = NodeDefinition<'buf>>
+  {
+    let base = if let Some(def) = iter.next() {
+      def
+    } else {
+      return None;
+    };
+
+    NodeCollection::with_base(base, &mut iter)
+  }
+
+  fn with_base<I>(base: NodeDefinition<'buf>, iter: &mut I) -> Option<NodeCollection<'buf>>
+    where I: Iterator<Item = NodeDefinition<'buf>>
+  {
+    let mut attributes = Vec::new();
+    let mut children = Vec::new();
+
+    loop {
+      if let Some(def) = iter.next() {
+        match def.node_type {
+          StandardType::Attribute => attributes.push(def),
+          StandardType::NodeEnd |
+          StandardType::FileEnd => break,
+          _ => match NodeCollection::with_base(def, iter) {
+            Some(child) => children.push(child),
+            None => return None,
+          },
+        }
+      } else {
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+
+    Some(NodeCollection {
+      base,
+      attributes,
+      children,
+    })
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/node_definition.rs b/src/node/definition.rs
similarity index 95%
rename from src/node_definition.rs
rename to src/node/definition.rs
index 8395594..0ec9840 100644
--- a/src/node_definition.rs
+++ b/src/node/definition.rs
@@ -85,11 +85,14 @@ impl<'buf> NodeDefinition<'buf> {
   pub fn into_node(self) -> Result<Node, KbinError> {
     trace!("parsing definition: {:?}", self);
     match (self.node_type, self.data) {
-      (StandardType::NodeStart, _) |
       (StandardType::NodeEnd, _) |
       (StandardType::FileEnd, _) => {
         return Err(KbinErrorKind::InvalidNodeType(self.node_type).into());
       },
+      (StandardType::NodeStart, NodeData::Some { key, .. }) => {
+        let key = key.to_string()?;
+        Ok(Node::new(key))
+      },
       (StandardType::Attribute, NodeData::Some { key, value_data }) => {
         let key = key.to_string()?;
         let data = strip_trailing_null_bytes(value_data);
diff --git a/src/node/mod.rs b/src/node/mod.rs
index 7b18649..88245cc 100644
--- a/src/node/mod.rs
+++ b/src/node/mod.rs
@@ -4,11 +4,15 @@ use indexmap::IndexMap;
 
 use value::Value;
 
+mod collection;
 pub(crate) mod de;
+mod definition;
 mod extra;
 mod marshal;
 mod ser;
 
+pub use self::collection::NodeCollection;
+pub use self::definition::{Key, NodeData, NodeDefinition};
 pub use self::extra::ExtraNodes;
 pub use self::marshal::Marshal;
 
diff --git a/src/reader.rs b/src/reader.rs
index 08a4478..45b4042 100644
--- a/src/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ use byte_buffer::ByteBufferRead;
 use compression::Compression;
 use encoding_type::EncodingType;
 use error::{KbinErrorKind, Result};
-use node_definition::{Key, NodeData, NodeDefinition};
+use node::{Key, NodeData, NodeDefinition};
 use node_types::StandardType;
 use sixbit::Sixbit;